The Shadow of Death
by Beokras
Summary: Devlin, a man scarred by the horrors of war seeks a way to escape from his past, in order to do so he ventures to the kingdom of Fiore, and hopes to join one of the many guilds there. However there are some things which will not stay hidden in the past forever. Join Devlin on his adventure through Fiore, and find out why he was once known as The Shadow of Death.
1. Chapter 1: A Nightmare, A Beginning

**A/N: Welcome to my first attempt at a novel in many years. I've been thinking about writing a story for quite some time now and after finishing the Manga some time ago, felt the time was about right to give this a go. To preface, this story will be mainly centred on the FT universe, though will contain many references and possibly some crossover elements with various games and TV shows. The OC will most likely have a relationship down the line, though I've not decided with who yet, so I'm open to suggestions. So without further ado, let's begin this adventure.**

 **Speech Key:**

"Normal Speech"

 _"Thoughts"_

" **Large Creature/Booming Voice** "

"LOUD SPEECH"

 _ **Magical Abilities**_

The chaos of the battlefield surrounded him, friend and foe alike fighting for their lives in a war where death was the only victor. He fell to his knees, exhausted by the throes of battle; darkness began to cloud his vision…"Devlin… DEVLIN!"

He sprung from his sleep in a cold sweat, eyes wild with panic at the recurring nightmare, taking a few moments to collect himself; he soon recalled where he was. "That dream again kid?" A raspy voice called to him from the corner of their camp. "Heh… I wouldn't exactly call that a dream Larius, there was a severe lack of dancing girls". The man, now identified as Larius, sniggered as he adjusted his hood slightly to shield his eyes from the dawning sun, and using magic, ignited a small spark on the tip of his thumb, lighting his smoking pipe. "Never gets any easier does it…" he said to Devlin in between drags of his pipe. "Wouldn't be any fun if it did", he replied as he began to stretch, the morning sun revealing his scarred form as he stood up. Devlin was a tall man in his mid-twenties, various scars adorning his torso and arms; he has eye length spiky dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a short beard the same colour of his hair. "Gonna head to the stream and cool off before we head out, I'll see if the traps caught anything while I'm there" Devlin said to Larius, which earned a slight nod in response.

Arriving at the stream, Devlin splashed his face with water, the coolness both calming and refreshing him. After taking a few moments to have a quick wash, he set about checking the traps he and Larius set the night before, hoping at least one of them would contain breakfast. A slight grin formed on his face as he approached the final trap, seeing a rabbit caught in the snare, "well, we'll finally have a decent breakfast" he said to himself as he approached the rabbit, calming it as he whispered a few words, dispatching it quickly, as to make the death as painless as possible.

Upon his return to camp he could see Larius had begun re-stoking the campfire, almost as if he knew Devlin had found something. Using his knowledge of the wilderness, Devlin had also gathered a few nuts and edible berries to go along with the rabbit, needless to say, the two acted as if they ate like kings. "Damn, that was good!" Devlin shouted as he began to light his smoking pipe, "yeah, been some time since we've had a feast like that" Larius replied, as he lowered his hood, allowing the fresh morning breeze to caress his face. Larius was an older man in his forties, with shoulder length black hair, with a few streaks of grey. His eyes were a bright green, and almost appeared to shine in the morning sun. He preferred to be clean shaven; however he had a decent amount of scruff due to being in the wilderness for so long. His attire consists of a dark leather breastplate, the likeness of a dragons head embossed into the chest plate, with the left arm being fully armoured in Damascus steel, and the right mirroring the appearance of the left, his lower half consisted of dark leather trousers which followed the same style of the chest plate, with plated leather boots completing the look. "We should head out soon, we need to reach the border by sunset" he said to Devlin as he tied his hair into a ponytail "Yeah, gimme a sec to get dressed and we can go." A bright flash of light engulfed Devlin as he used to magic to change into his gear. The attire was not too different from the one that adorns Larius, dark leather being the core of the outfit; however Devlin's gear had more metal plating along the legs and left arm, while the right arm was completely unarmored, revealing a number of tattoos, markings and a few scars, finally he wore an armless black leather trench coat, completing the look. "Pisses me off how you can do that…" Larius said in a somewhat annoyed tone, staring at Devlin who has just done in seconds what took him the good part of half an hour to achieve. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy, old man?" Devlin said in a sly tone, glancing at Larius who simply grinned in response.

With this, Devlin used his magic to create a small gust of wind, extinguishing the campfire while Larius packed up the rest of their camping equipment, handing Devlin a satchel containing his supplies. Seeing they were ready, the pair nodded at each other before setting out on their journey to the kingdoms border. The pair of men had been walking in relative silence for hours until Devlin decided to spark a conversation, "So, when we get to Fiore, what are you gonna do?" Larius looked at Devlin with a serious expression, one that made Devlin wonder if he should have asked, when Larius suddenly burst out laughing, "HAHAHA, you should see the look on your face kid!" Devlin, slightly annoyed by this, responded in kind "Very funny you old prick, but seriously though, we've been travelling together for months now, I'm curious", "First of all, I ain't that old you little shit, but honestly I've been thinking I might find a place to settle down, you know maybe build my own house, start a family" Larius quickly responded, with a thoughtful look, causing Devlin to burst out laughing "HAHA, settle down? Come on Larius we both know that won't happen, I'd give it a week at most before you'd start getting cold feet" Larius looked to the sky, not wanting to accept what Devlin said as the truth, but knew deep down it was, he just wasn't cut out for such a peaceful life, the life of adventure was his true calling. "Damn, am I really that transparent?" Larius asked Devlin, causing him to laugh a little, and follow with a reply "hehehe, nah we've been through hell and back, fought, bled and almost died multiple times, I'd be surprised if we didn't know each other inside out by now" Devlin said, causing the smallest smile to appear on Larius' face _"It's good to see you laughing again Devlin"_ Larius thought to himself as the pair approached the village of Honnleath, a small village on the outer edges of Fiore's eastern border.

As the two entered the village square, Larius inquired for directions to the local tavern, while Devlin took the time to observe the villagers and their surroundings, which concerned him greatly. "Taverns this way kid, you coming?" Larius inquired, however he then noticed the look of concern upon Devlin's face, causing him to then look around and noticed the same thing Devlin had. Each of the villagers met them with fearful stares, some running into their houses, bolting the doors and windows. "We're not alone here Larius, I can sense a small force of men in the hills overlooking the village, around twenty or so, some appear to be mages", as Devlin finished his statement a small fireball flew towards the duo, Devlin reacted quickly, answering with his own magic, expelling a small gust of wind which dispersed the fireball.

"Well, looks like things are about to get interesting" Devlin said with a slight grin, requipping a katana as he readied himself for battle, "So, loser buys the drinks?" Larius asked Devlin as he requipped his own weapons, a two handed flamberge style blade and a pair of daggers, while taking combat stance. Devlin sniggered in response "heh, so you then?" which caused Larius to grin as the pair readied themselves for combat. As the two prepared for combat, a small girl appeared from behind a building crying as she attempted to run to her parents' home, as she ran another fireball targeted the girl. This greatly angered Devlin as he used his magic to accelerate his speed and once again disperse the oncoming fireball, "Bastards, they don't care who they hurt..." the child grappled on to Devlin's leg, looking up at him with tears flowing down her cheek "sorry kid, but I'm gonna need my leg to fight these guys, where's your house?" Devlin asked as the girl hesitantly pointed at a building across the street, as Devlin began to look in the direction of the house, an older man came into view, running wildly and screaming his daughter's name "PETRA, PETRA WHERE ARE YOU!?", the girl quickly released Devlin's leg and began to run to her father, meeting him just outside of the family's home, "Petra, I thought they'd got you" the man said as he held his daughter in his arms, "I don't know who you are, but you have my eternal thanks for saving my daughter" he said to Devlin as he quickly hushed his daughter into the house, "Please I know I have no right to ask this of you, but these dark mages…" Devlin cut him off mid speech "Don't worry, we're gonna make sure they won't trouble you again" His somewhat cocky expression from before becoming completely serious. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's assholes like these that target kids…"

The man nodded in response hurrying into the house his daughter had previously retreated into. During this exchange, Larius had taken the time to perform a quick scouting of the village, making sure there were no more stragglers for the attackers to target. As soon as he re-joined Devlin in the village square, the small force of men began their assault in full, some charging towards the village with weapons in hand, others staying at the back line charging magical spells. Two of the men charged directly at Devlin, who remained completely still, just as their attacks were about to land, Devlin drew his katana at lightning speed, dashing forward a few meters striking both of the assailants before they had a chance to react. The rest of the men stopped unsure what to make of what they had just witnessed; the two men who were struck by Devlin's attack were no longer moving, frozen in place as Devlin moved to sheath his sword, he stopped just as the katana guard was about to reach the scabbard, waiting for a few seconds before sheathing the blade fully, causing the two men to collapse on to the floor.

This caused the rest of the bandits to waver in uncertainty; they simply looked at Devlin who began walking toward the rest of the group. During Devlin's display, Larius had used his own magic to cloak himself in shadow, as he moved towards the group of mages who were currently gawking at Devlin, one of the mages came back to reality and had noticed the disappearance of Larius, who shouted "WHERE'S THE OTHER ON…", he was cut off as one of Larius' daggers found its way through the mages throat "Right here" Larius said as he removed the dagger, causing the nameless mage to slump to the ground. Devlin and Larius quickly cleaned up the rest of the attackers and reconvened in the centre of the village thinking the fight was over, however this quickly changed when one of the villagers shouted "HE'S HERE, GHORROK IS HERE".

The atmosphere grew eerily quiet as the cloaked man named Ghorrok approached the village square, both Devlin and Larius could sense the magical energy being released from this man, and prepared accordingly. "So… I have you two to thank for cleaning out the trash in my guild?" This statement angered Devlin as he moved to strike, however Larius placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to back down for the moment "You refer to your comrades as trash?" Larius asked, causing Ghorrok to laugh hysterically. "HAHAHA, only those I deem strong are to be called such, and you two… how would you like to join my guild?" Devlin having none of this quickly responded "How would you like to kiss my ass?" Larius couldn't help but snicker at the bluntness of Devlin's reaction, which enraged Ghorrok "THEN YOU BOTH DIE!" Ghorrok threw off his cloak, revealing his muscular form with various tribal tattoos placed upon his skin, wearing only a loincloth and some straps made of leather; he sent a glare at Devlin, as magic circles began to form around his hands.

 _ **Earthcall: Boulderstrike!**_ Ghorrok shouted as huge pieces of the surrounding earth began to compact and form into a boulder, which Ghorrok launched at Devlin whose fist made contact with the boulder shattering it, causing Ghorrok to once again glare at Devlin. "Kind of a weak first impression after all that bravado" Devlin said which enraged Ghorrok even further.

 _ **Earthcall: Shattered Mountain!**_ This time a boulder the size of a small mountain began to form within the sky, all the while Ghorrok was laughing manically at the situation, knowing this attack would likely destroy the village and everything in it. "THIS ENDS NOW" Ghorrok shouted as he threw the attack at Devlin who simply grinned in response. A flash of black energy surrounded Devlin as his features became more demonic, small sparks of lightning flashing every few seconds about his form, he grasped his katana and readied his attack "You shall die" Devlin said before disappearing momentarily, causing a massive number of dark energy streaks to appear around the boulder and on Ghorrok, before returning to his original position, kneeling and sheathing his sword both destroying the boulder and mortally wounding Ghorrok.

Devlin returned to his human form, and approached Ghorrok who was weakly laughing before coughing up a decent amount of blood. "The Balam Alliance will know I've fallen, they will exact revenge" he said before finally succumbing to death, leaving Devlin perplexed at his final statement. While Devlin dealt with Ghorrok, Larius had been gathering the bodies of the fallen dark mages and moved them away from the village, hoping that the children hadn't seen what he and Devlin had just done. _"They deserve their innocence…"_ he thought as he gathered the last of the bodies then used his magic to set them aflame. "May the fire purify your darkened souls…" he said before walking off toward the village centre to meet back up with Devlin. As he arrived back, he saw Devlin was talking to a group of men dressed in robes which had a cyan coloured tabard adorned with a cross. " _Some kind of military force?"_ he wondered as he approached his comrade, the commander of the squadron addressed both Devlin and Larius. "We are Rune Knights of the kingdom of Fiore's magic council, we were sent here to apprehend the dark guild known as Scarred Earth, and its leader Ghorrok the Cataclysm, who had recently fled from the kingdom, yet we arrive to see villagers cowering in their homes and traces of lingering magical energy… care to explain?" Larius signalled to Devlin that he would handle the talking, so he went and sat down while Larius talked to the commander of the Rune Knights.

"I see, so you and you comrade destroyed their attacking force, and then killed Ghorrok… While I cannot say I condone your methods, you have done us a service by protecting this village and eliminating the dark guild, allow us to take things from here" As Larius and the commander finished conversing, Devlin approached Larius and told him of Ghorroks final words. "Balam Alliance huh? Can't say I've heard of it kid, wouldn't take the threat lightly though", Larius told Devlin as they approached the tavern, "Yeah, knew it would be a long shot, I wonder if there's any of these guilds in Fiore that might know, could be worth checking out" Devlin said as they entered the tavern, a look of relief on the villagers faces as the barkeep welcomed them, "Ah the saviours of the village! Anything you want, it's on the house today!" The two men sat down at the bar, both ordering a pint of the taverns finest ale, and some roast pork to go along with it. "So you're thinking of joining one of these guilds then?" Larius inquired, knowing that Devlin had been thinking of it for some time. "Yeah, way I figure it'll be a nice change of pace from all the crap back home" Larius smiled in response "Go for it kid, as for me, when we get to Fiore's border I think I'm gonna go sightseeing, maybe look into sacred Mount Zonia, hear there's some kind of treasure there"

As the two carried on talking, the barkeep approached with their order of roast pork, and also offered some knowledge of the guilds in Fiore to Devlin, focusing on one in particular, Fairy Tail. "They're the strongest guild Fiore has to offer, always featured in the news about how they blow this up or destroy that, rambunctious lot" the barkeep said as he began laughing, "Well that sounds like fun, where's this Fairy Tail located?" Devlin inquired, his curiosity sparked by mention of a guild, especially the strongest one. "Hmm, give me a moment; I have a map around here somewhere… Ah! Here we go" The barkeep then showed Devlin and Larius the map and where the respective places they both wanted to go were, the duo were eager to continue on their journey and pass the Fiore border.

As the two prepared to leave, the villagers gave them one last farewell and thanked them once again for saving the village. After saying goodbye to two reached the Fiore border, passing a few military checkpoints along the way and finally entering the kingdom of Fiore itself.

"Well we're finally here, took long enough with all those checkpoints" Devlin said as the duo stood on a hill overlooking the Fiore countryside "Yeah… you'd think there was a war going on with all the security" Larius responded, both of them grimacing at the thought, old memories resurfacing which caused both of them to remain silent for a while. "So… you're heading off towards Mount Zonia?" Devlin said, breaking the silence, "Yeah, and I guess you're gonna head towards Magnolia?" Larius responded, to which Devlin nodded in response. "Well then, guess this is where we split, good luck kid, maybe I'll come see you when I'm rich!" Larius said as he began to head off in the direction of Mount Zonia. Devlin looked at his comrade one final time, and set off in the direction of Magnolia. "Cya around old man, and remember you still owe me a round after that fight in the village!" Larius instantly spun around and shouted at Devlin "WHAT!? I got way more of them than you did!" "hehe, you may have got more of the grunts true, but I stopped that huge-ass boulder and got their leader, so I win" Devlin said as he continued walking, waving one of his hands in the air "'Till our paths cross again, Larius!" causing Larius to smile as he once again embarked on his way towards Mount Zonia "'Till our paths cross again, Devlin"

Chapter End

 **A/N: So here we are, at the end of the first chapter. Not quite sure if there was too much going on here in one chapter, but it'll work out. If you like the story, please feel free to follow/favourite, maybe even a review, it'd help me out a lot xD**

 **Thanks for taking the time to read, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Port town of Hargeon

**A/N: Hey guys, back with another chapter! After writing the first one, I wanted to get into the actual story and start meeting other characters, so this chapter we meet Natsu, Happy and Lucy, and explore what happens when Devlin reaches Hargeon.**

 **Speech Key:**

"Normal Speech"

 _"Thoughts"_

" **Large Creature/Booming Voice** "

"LOUD SPEECH"

 ** _Magical Abilities_**

After parting with Larius, Devlin had continued on his journey towards Magnolia, stopping at a few taverns to do a few jobs along the way and to pick up information regarding Fairy Tail, seeing if any of the guild members had been spotted nearby, hoping to chance a meeting with one of them. Fortunately as luck would have it, the most recent tavern he'd visited had such information, the barkeep telling Devlin of a character named Salamander, who was currently visiting the port town of Hargeon, about a day's travel away from his current location. Hearing this, Devlin thanked the barkeep, leaving him a few extra jewels as thanks for the information.

"About a day on foot huh… well that simply won't do" Devlin muttered to himself as he looked over the rugged terrain before him as he started channelling magical energy, a pair of demonic looking wings appearing on his back. Devlin smirked to himself as he readied himself for flight "Let's turn that day into a few hours" he said before leaping into the sky, a small crater left behind from his launch zone. While in the air Devlin took the time to admire to the Fiore landscape, smiling at how pure and untouched the land was _"nothing like back home, there's nowhere that war didn't affect…"_ he thought to himself, quickly striking the thought from his mind as not to bring back any unwanted memories. A few hours passed with Devlin maintaining his current flight speed, and soon on the horizon was the Fiore coastline, with the port town of Hargeon just in front. His destination in sight Devlin slowed his speed, and came to a landing on a hill overlooking the town, taking a moment to catch his breath after hours of continuous flight and to retract his wings. As he did, his mind began to return to what Ghorrok said before he died _"The Balam alliance, some sort of cult or pact between these dark guilds… I wonder…"_ Devlin continued to ponder what this Balam alliance could be as he grabbed his smoking pipe and lit it, taking a drag and sighing as he exhaled, unable to come to a reasonable conclusion due to the lack of information he had.

Regardless of the situation, Devlin collected his thoughts and pressed on towards Hargeon, hoping to find this Salamander, or someone who could at least point him in the right direction. Approaching the outskirts of the town, Devlin felt the sea breeze hit him, and stopped for a moment to take in the purity of the moment _"Been a while since I was this close to the sea…"_ he thought, smirking and continuing on towards the towns centre. As he made his way through Hargeon, a pair of girls hurriedly ran past him screaming that someone called Salamander was in town "Is it really him!?", "Yeah! He's by the restaurant, Come on, hurry up!" The girls exchanged while running towards the location of this Salamander. "Well, guess I know where I'm goin" Devlin smirked as he followed the sound of the fan girls currently surrounding Salamander.

It was around this time, that a certain blue feline and pink haired wizard, wearing a red coat, a gold trimmed black cloth which reached his knees, a pair of sandals, baggy white trousers and his signature scaly scarf, with a backpack containing camping supplies, the duo had just disembarked from a train, with the latter of the duo collapsing at the station platform due to a severe case of motion sickness. "That's the last time I get on one of those death traps…" the pink haired teen said weakly as he tried to pick himself up, his legs still feeling like jelly after enduring what he considered to be the worst kind of torture "You say that every time we get on a train Natsu" his feline companion quickly retorted "Yeah… well… this time I mean it Happy…" Natsu replies, only to be met by another quip from Happy "You say that every time too, I think you just need a fish" Natsu looked at his companion with a slightly annoyed gaze and replied "Fish aren't the cure for everything y'know…" to which Happy started flying in a figure of eight while shouting "they are for me!" to which Natsu couldn't help but smirk and said "Yeah… don't I know it. Anyway Igneel should be in this town somewhere, let's go Happy!" flashing his signature toothy grin at his partner, to which Happy responded with his own signature statement "Aye, sir!"

During the time it took for Natsu to reach the area where the Salamander was located, Devlin had already found him and was dismayed at what he saw, first of all this Salamander looked nothing like the one that the barkeep had told him about, and seemed to be casting a charm spell which put Devlin on high alert. As he was about to take action he saw Natsu charge forward shouting "IGNEEL ITS ME!" as Natsu reached the centre of the fangirl circle he quickly got a look at the so called Salamander, deadpanned and said "You're not Igneel…" to which the Salamander replied "No my boy, I am the great Salamander, here have my autograph" this action caused Natsu to deadpan even more, replying with a straightforward "No thanks…" which unfortunately for Natsu enraged the fangirl following, causing them to lash out at Natsu, leaving him in a heap of trash. Devlin slightly shocked by the sudden ferocity of the girls stood there and thought _"Wow, glad that kid beat me to it now"_ however, this didn't stop him overlooking the fact that the Salamander appeared to be using a charm spell to lure in the girls. So he decided to take action.

 _ **Perdere.**_ Devlin released a small burst of magical energy, aimed at destroying magical objects, specifically targeting the two rings that adorned the Salamanders hand. This caused the Salamander to recoil in shock, as the objects that attracted his female following were destroyed, leaving a lot of dumbfounded girls, and one angry Salamander. "Who dares attack me? I am the Salamander, I'll burn you alive!" he shouted, causing most of the girls who had just recently regained their senses to take a few steps back in fear. _"Crap, I need to calm down…"_ he thought to himself as a figure made his way through the crowd "Greetings, so called Salamander" The Salamander turned to address this newcomer, and readied himself to attack, however remembering where he was, and what was at stake, he backed down instead opting to talk to this man. "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Devlin, I'm also the guy who destroyed those rings of yours… quite the nasty trinkets really, using a charm signet to lure girls towards you, and I believe the other was a sleeping singet, makes me wonder what your intentions are…"

With that said, most of the girls who were still hanging around the scene quickly fled, fearing for their safety and innocence, much to the dismay of the Salamander. "Now tell me… why would someone like you be using a charm signet?" Devlin by this point had already figured out what this man was up to, however didn't want to cause a spectacle in the town without conclusive proof. The Salamander simply huffed "Merely addressing my adoring fans, which you seem to have driven off" he said as he gave Devlin a dangerous glare, which Devlin returned causing the Salamander to retreat for now.

 _ **Red Carpet.**_ A gout of flame shot up from the floor, carrying the Salamander to the harbour, where his yacht was waiting for him. "That was pretty cool man!" Natsu said as he walked up behind Devlin, patting him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Thanks, and you are?" Devlin asked as he turned around, noticing this teens appearance was identical to the information he had collected. Natsu stood there for a few seconds before realising that he was meant to introduce himself, "Oh! Right, names Natsu Dragneel, this here's my little buddy Happy!" Happy flew up to Natsu's shoulder, "Aye!" Happy shouted as he reached eye level with Devlin which caught him by surprise _"A talking cat? Well… that's new"_ Devlin thought as he saw Happy for the first time. Before the three could continue their conversation, another made their way towards the group, she had blonde hair with one side tied into a ponytail, was average height and had an extremely curvaceous figure, she was wearing a sleeveless top, which was white with a blue trimming, a blue skirt, black knee high boots and a belt which held her celestial keys, and a whip on opposing sides. Natsu, Devlin and Happy noticed her approach and turned to face her as she began to introduce herself "Hi! My names Lucy, nice to meet you guys!" to which they all returned introductions and Lucy followed with "Thanks by the way, that creep was using a charm spell to lure girls in which I almost fell for, you guys got here just in time" to which Devlin and Natsu nodded, however their conversation was interrupted when a peculiar sound came from both Natsu and Happy "So… hungry…" they both whimpered as they fell to the floor, earning a laugh from Devlin and a sigh from Lucy.

"Wanna get something to eat? My treat, as thanks" Lucy said, instantly restoring Natsu and happy to life as they both shouted "Our angel!" which earned an annoyed look from Lucy and a grin from Devlin "Well… they got the angel part right…" Devlin said as he shot a glance in Lucy's direction causing a slight blush to appear on her cheeks. Regaining her composure and brushing off Devlin's comment they all went into the nearby restaurant.

After being seated and ordering, Lucy produced an issue of Sorcerer weekly from her bag and began to talk about the Fairy Tail guild, which piqued Devlin's curiosity. "So you're looking to join Fairy Tail then?" Devlin asked, as he began wondering if Lucy might travel with him to Magnolia, as they shared the same goal. "Yeah, it's been my dream since I was little; the entire guild just sounds like so much fun!" Lucy replied enthusiastically, looking at Devlin who was currently studying the centrefold of Fairy Tail within the issue of Sorcerer Weekly. "Truth be told, I've been looking to join Fairy Tail as well, wanna head there together?" Devlin asked as he passed the magazine back to Lucy, who looked to the ceiling, with a quizzical look upon her face "I dunno, I'm not really used to travelling with guys…" as she began to look away, Devlin smirked and looked towards the incoming waitress, who was bringing their order of food, "I understand, but if you do change your mind, I'll be in Hargeon until late this evening, something I need to check on before I leave for Magnolia" Devlin spoke as the waitress each called their order of food, Natsu and Happy suddenly springing to life as their respective meals were finally in front of them.

"Didn't hear a word of that conversation did they?" Lucy said as she looked at the pair, causing Devlin to respond with a slight chuckle "Doesn't look it", as they began to eat, all the while having to avoid bits of food currently being launched at them from Natsu's over aggressive eating. "Whew, I'm stuffed!" Natsu said as he leant back in the booth, placing both hands over his stomach, "Aye!" Happy shouted as he repeated Natsu's actions, the both of them looking completely relaxed now that they had eaten a good meal. "Indeed, thank you for the food Lucy", Devlin said as he looked at Lucy, getting a smile in response "Don't mention it, like I said it's thanks for dealing with that creep earlier", Devlin nodded, and began to stretch as he stood up, ready to leave the restaurant "Well, it was certainly a pleasure meeting you all, cya around Natsu, Happy and maybe I'll see you at Fairy Tail Lucy" Devlin said as he began to exit the restaurant, the three all wishing him farewell. _"That guy… if my suspicions were correct, then he's a slave trader"_ Devlin thought to himself as he walked into a narrow alleyway, preparing to tail Lucy, in hopes that the so called Salamander would make another appearance.

Not too long after Devlin left the restaurant; Natsu, Happy and Lucy exited the establishment as well, each saying their respective farewells before going their separate ways, Devlin who kept his eyes on Lucy began to cast a spell, _**Shadowfall: Concealment.**_ Darkness began to form over Devlin, until his entire form was invisible, completely hidden by his magic, he immediately began to tail Lucy, who had journeyed towards Hargeons park area, and found herself a seat on a bench.

Producing the issue of Sorcerer Weekly from her bag once more, Lucy began to read the article on Fairy Tail, trying to imagine herself within the guild hall as one of its many members. "I really want to join Fairy Tail!" she shouted whist kicking her legs in the air, unbeknownst to her, a shadowy figure had overheard her little outburst "So you want to join Fairy Tail?" the man said as he approached Lucy, who turned around, to see none other than the Salamander approaching her.

"Yeah I do, but what makes you think I'd listen to you?" Lucy chastised as she looked at the man now before her, "Well my dear, because I can get you into Fairy Tail, I am a member after all" he said as he extended his hand towards Lucy, who quickly batted in away in response "Forget it, I don't believe anyone in Fairy Tail would use illegal magic like that" she said, giving the man an annoyed look as she turned to leave, the Salamander quickly hit Lucy over the back of the head, rendering her unconscious "Stupid girl, this would have been much easier if you had just played along", he said as he began to cast his magic, _**Red Carpet!**_

The Salamander using his magic, got himself back to his yacht in the port, all the while Devlin was observing the situation that unfolded before him. "Well, if I had any doubts before, that little display certainly put them to rest" he said to himself as he dispelled his magic, causing him to reappear sitting on the bench where Lucy just was. Looking to the floor, he could see Lucy's bag, along with her gate keys, which the Salamander had discarded after rendering her unconscious. Devlin seeing this, picked up both her bag and keys, placing them in his requip space for the time being, as he began to make his way towards the Salamanders yacht "Time to pay this guy a little visit" he said with a smirk as he leapt into the sky, choosing to traverse the rooftops rather than walk the streets, to avoid unnecessary attention.

Lucy, who was now aboard the Salamanders yacht, was slowly beginning to regain consciousness. "Ugh… my head… where am I?" She queried groggily as the darkness shifted from her eyes. A few more moments and she was fully aware and took a look around at her current surroundings "What's going on? Why am I in a cage!?" she shouted, only to hear a cackle in response from the corner of the room. In this corner, was the Salamander, happily pouring himself a glass of wine as he admired his latest work. "You're on my yacht, headed for Bosco, where your new life will begin. and you… are my prize catch" Lucy was taken aback at what the man had just told her, as she heard whimpering from behind her, which came from a number of other girls who this man had also captured. "This is a slave vessel my dear, and as of now, you are all my property", he said as he began to drink the wine he had poured himself.

Lucy, as she began to understand the gravity of the situation she was in, had a fearful look on her face until she remembered she had friends who could help in this type of situation _"Wait! I'll just…"_ she thought to herself as she reached for her gate keys, only to find they were not attached to her belt buckle anymore "My keys!" she shouted as the Salamander began to laugh "Oh those? Yes I discarded them for you, won't need them where you're going anyway" he said with a smug look on his face, returning to the glass of wine once more. Realising she no longer had a means of escape; Lucy began to despair _"Is this it… I'm going to be a slave… NO I'm getting out of this one way or another!"_ she thought to herself as she resolved to find a way out of this situation.

As Lucy began to scan the area for anything that could help her, a dark mist began to roll in through one of the windows in the yacht, pooling in the centre of the room, Lucy and the Salamander both noticed this, with the Salamander readying himself for a fight, and Lucy looking on in disbelief. Eventually the mist began to take the shape of a human and solidified completely, revealing Devlin as the rest of the mist began to disperse. "Hi there, not late to the party am I?" Devlin questioned with a slight grin on his face. "YOU AGAIN, MEN GET IN HERE!" the Salamander exclaimed with a look of rage on his face, as a number of men armed with weapons began barrelling into the room all ready to fight, "Apparently not" Devlin said as he looked towards Lucy, who was still staring at him in disbelief, Devlin reached a hand into his requip space, producing both Lucy's bag, and her gate keys "I believe these belong to you" he said as he used his magic to levitate the objects towards Lucy while also breaking the lock on the cage. "My keys!" she shouted as she retrieved her possessions, looking at Devlin with a smile "Thanks, you're a lifesaver" she said as she stood up opening the door of the cage "Not a problem" Devlin said as he returned he gaze to the number of men before him.

"So… you guys gonna fight me, or just stand there admiring me all day?" Devlin said which earned a slight giggle from Lucy, who in turn looked towards the rest of the girls that the Salamander had captured, still cowering in the cage, then towards Devlin "Devlin, I have an idea on how to get the boat back into port, you ok to handle these guys?" she asked him with a grin on her face "Easily" Devlin responded, causing Lucy to make a run for the same window Devlin had entered through and jumped out, landing in the ocean beneath.

As she landed in the ocean, Lucy began swimming to the surface, taking a moment to catch her breath, then began to reach for her gate keys, _**Open gate of the water bearer: Aquarius!**_ She shouted dipping the key into the ocean waters, after which a flash of light appeared and took the shape of a mermaid, who had long flowing aquamarine hair, which was framed by a silver beaded tiara, a tattoo above her rather large chest, gold bangles around her wrists and a crested jug which she held in both hands. After Aquarius was fully summoned Lucy began to bark her orders "Okay Aquarius, I need you to blow that ship back into port!" which was immediately met by an annoyed glare from Aquarius who said "Before I do anything, the next time you decide to lose my key, you're dead" to which Lucy sheepishly responded "Yes ma'am…".

Aquarius began to charge a huge amount of magical power and set her sights on the ship, meanwhile Devlin still being on the ship currently toying with the Salamanders men, noticed the spike in magical power and used his own magical power to create a gust of wind that pushed his attackers back a few meters. "I'm out!" shouted Devlin using some of his magic to shield the girls who were still in the cage "Don't worry this'll keep you safe" he said to the girls, and then began to use his magic to transform into mist once more, _**Shadowfall: Dispersion!**_

Devlin exited the ship through the same window he entered through, and headed to the beach, returning to human form once he made his way there. As he returned a huge tidal wave struck the bow of the ship, throwing it back into port, along with Lucy who was caught up in the attack. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HIT ME TOO YA'KNOW!" Lucy shouted at Aquarius, who simply gave her a playful look and said "Oh? I wasn't aiming for the ship, now don't summon me for a while, I have a date with my boyfriend, who's hot" saying this Aquarius returned to the spirit world which Lucy shouting back "YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUB THAT IN EITHER" she said, an angry expression on her face after the turn of events.

It was at this time that Natsu and Happy, who were currently on a high road overlooking the port, saw that a ship was tossed back in to port, looking at each other they both nodded, deciding to investigate. Heading down to the port, Natsu and Happy ran past a group of girls who were fleeing from the wreckage and picked up the pace. Arriving on the scene, Natsu and Happy could see Devlin helping Lucy up after she was caught in Aquarius' attack, and so decided to move over to them "Hey guys!" he shouted to which Devlin nodded and Lucy gave a slight wave back. The men who were caught in the ship had also started to get pick themselves up.

"What the hell happened Bora!?" one of the men who had just picked himself up shouted with the man now identified as Bora quickly responding "DON'T CALL ME THAT YOU IDIOT!", with Happy realising who the man who masqueraded as Salamander really was "I know him! He's Bora the prominence, rumour has it he was kicked out of the Titan's Nose wizard guild a few years back for bad behaviour!"

"Is that so…" Devlin responded a slight smirk forming on his face, "That's great and everything but what's this got to do with Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked, not sure what his guild had to do with any of this. "Well Natsu, I've got a clear picture of whats been going on here now. Bora over there has been using your identity as Salamander and by extension, Fairy Tail, in order to attract girls, cast illegal magic on them, and then sell them off as slaves in Bosco" Devlin summarised, causing Natsu to burst out in rage "WHAT!?" Natsu shouted as he turned his gaze to Bora, sending a deadly glare his way, who shivered slightly in repsonse. "I know you've got just as much reason to beat the crap outta this guy, but I can't let him dirty Fairy Tail's name, he's mine…" Natsu said as he walked toward Bora and his men. "All yours…" Devlin said as he gestured for Natsu to carry on and watched as Natsu walked toward the group of men.

"Wait, did you say Natsu is in Fairy Tail!?" Lucy shouted, causing Devlin to look her way "Yep, he's the real Salamander, you're a Fairy Tail wizard too, right Happy?" he said as he looked at Happy who shouted "Aye, Sir!" in response and perched on Devlin's unarmoured shoulder. "Well, guess we get to see what happens when a real Fairy Tail wizard goes to work, this should be fun" Devlin said as he looked on at Natsu throwing off his red jacket, to reveal a black and gold trimmed waist coat, and a red guild emblem on his right arm.

"MY NAMES NATSU DRAGNEEL, AND YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR DIRTYING THE FAIRY TAIL GUILDS NAME" Natsu shouted as he began to punch his way through the many men that charged at him, until only he and Bora were left. _**Prominence Typhoon!**_ Bora shouted as he threw a massive attack at Natsu, flames covering both him and the ship he stood on. Just as Bora turned to run, a voice came from the flames stopping him in his tracks "You sure you're a fire wizard, cus these flames taste nasty!" Natsu said as he was inhaling the flames that surrounded him, shocking both Bora and Lucy, and intriguing Devlin. "Interesting, so he eats fire and attacks with it, Draconic magic?" he said as Happy followed up with an explanation "Yeah, Natsu's a Fire Dragon Slayer, he has dragon claws for attacking with fire, dragon lungs for breathing with fire, and dragon scales to help him absorb fire, it's a rare magic that's barely used anymore, Igneel taught it to him!"

After Happy's explanation Devlin started to ponder something _"Igneel huh? I wonder… I can sense a being a great power residing within Natsu, might that be him?"_ he thought to himself, as he did a booming voice invaded Devlin's mind " **You will not speak a word of my presence, I know of you, and what you are Shadow of Death, my existence must remain a secret for now…** ", slightly stunned by the action, Devlin glanced over at Natsu with a sad look on his face, but also one of understanding _"So I was right… the presence I felt within Natsu, is Igneel"._

Natsu and Bora had now begun their battle in full with Natsu landing the first hit, _**Fire Dragons Iron Fist!**_ He shouted as he landed a flaming uppercut to Bora's chin, sending him flying. Bora who had managed to stabilise himself thanks to his Red Carpet, retaliated with an attack of his own. _**Red Shower!**_ He cried as a volley of fireballs made their way towards Natsu, who simply grinned in response, _**Fire Dragon's Roar!**_ Natsu shouted as a huge cone of flame left his mouth, heading straight for Bora and unfortunately Hargeon as well. The attack connected to both Bora and Hargeon, causing Bora to fall to the ground unconscious as Devlin looked on at the collateral damage caused by Natsu's attack.

"Damn, kid doesn't mess around" he said, as Natsu turned to face the group, a triumphant look on his face, "Not bad Natsu, you defeated Bora, took out a few houses, a dock and some of the rail line!" Devlin said, holding back laughter, as Natsu began to deadpan, looking at the damage he'd caused "That was amazing, but he went overboard!" Lucy shouted, as Happy responded "That's Natsu for ya…"

As the group continued to survey the damage Natsu had caused, the sound of ironclad footsteps approached from the distance "CRAP WE NEED TO RUN!" Natsu shouted as he prepared to make a break for it, "Hold on, let me talk to them" Devlin replied, as he went to approach the group of oncoming soldiers. Natsu still worried, went and hid behind the wreckage of Boras yacht, hoping the army hadn't noticed him.

As Devlin approached the group, the squadron captain held up his arm to signal the army to stop their march, and began to address Devlin "I am Captain Galdrun, leader of the 5th division of Fiore's royal army, care to explain why half of Hargeon is in ruins before we arrest you?" the captain said to Devlin, who explained the situation and also made sure to mention his efforts in protection Honnleath village on the previous day. "I see, so a Fairy Tail wizard was involved, that explains the needless destruction, we shall send a missive to the magic council, as for the criminals, MEN! ARREST BORA AND HIS ACCOMPLISES, you however are free to go, and thank you once again for saving these citizens from slavery" as he finished, some of the army men made their way towards the unconscious Bora and his men, placing magic restraining handcuffs on them and loading them into a prison wagon for transportation.

Devlin had made his way back to Natsu, Happy and Lucy, and told them that they were free to go "OUR SAVIOUR!" Natsu and Happy cried out and they danced about, ecstatic that the army wouldn't be chasing them for once. Devlin chuckled at the response, and then asked them about joining Fairy Tail "So, I've been looking to join a guild, and from what I've seen of you two, Fairy Tail seems like it would be perfect, so how do I go about joining?" he asked Natsu and Happy, Lucy listening intently as well, "Oh that's easy! We'll just go talk to gramps; he'll let you in for sure!" Natsu said, flashing Devlin one of his famous grins, Devlin was slightly dumbfounded as he'd expected there to be some sort of trial at least, especially for the strongest guild in Fiore, "Really… just like that?" he asked Natsu, to which he replied "Yup! This mark, isn't just a guild mark, it means family" Natsu said as he pointed towards he guild emblem, causing a smile to form on both Devlin and Lucy's faces. "Well then, I'm in!", "Me too!" Devlin said with Lucy quickly following up. Which lead Devlin to his next statement "So, seeing as you destroyed some of the rail line Natsu… How do you propose we get to Magnolia?" Natsu froze in place with a comical look on his face when Devlin said this, causing Happy to burst out laughing and Lucy to facepalm. "Well Magnolia's about a day's walk from here right, no reason we can't walk and camp along the way" Devlin stated to which Lucy had an immediate reaction "No way! I can't walk that far!" she said as Devlin answered with a flirtatious response "I could carry you there then, how's that?" Devlin asked, causing Lucy to blush and Happy to coo "She's in looooove~" while hovering near her, causing Lucy to blush even more and chase after Happy shouting "SHUT IT STUPID CAT!"

Devlin finding the entire situation hilarious began to walk towards Natsu who was currently smiling watching Lucy chase Happy. "So, there any other ways of getting from here to Magnolia by transport, cus it's startin to look like walking might be the only option" Devlin inquired causing Natsu to respond with "I suppose we could get a carriage, but I'd rather not, walking sounds much more fun!" Natsu shouted, which Lucy heard and immediately responded "NO IT DOES NOT!" forgetting about chasing Happy and charging towards Natsu and Devlin "We are NOT walking" she said causing Devlin to ask his next question "Any reason why you're so against walking? I find spending time in the wilderness rather relaxing, and I have enough supplies stashed in my requip space to last at least a week", to this Lucy quickly responded "I just don't want to walk that far…" Lucy said while leaning over, not looking forward to the fact this might be their only option. "Well Natsu did mention something about a carriage…" Before Devlin could finish, Lucy cut him off by shouting "We're getting a carriage!" Triumphantly walking away in search of the carriage office, "Huh, guess it's decided then…" Devlin said who looked at Natsu who now had a defeated look on his face, "Guessin you don't like carriages?" Devlin said, Natsu still looking down so Happy responded in his stead "Any form of transport actually, he gets really bad motion sickness…" to which Devlin responded, "Hm, that sucks… however I may have a solution" Natsu perked up at this statement, hoping that there might be truth to Devlin's words.

"I know of a particular spell that may be able to temporarily diminish the effects of your motion sickness, once we get to the carriage, I'll cast it on you" Natsu now had a hopeful gleam in his eyes, however still acted against the idea of using transport "Well… guess we can give it a go" he said unenthused, while Devlin looked on seeing Lucy had already made her way back to Hargeons centre, "we'd better go catch up, come on!" Devlin said as Natsu followed with a grin on his face and Happy shouted "Aye, Sir!" as he began to fly above the pair.

As they arrived at the carriage station, Devlin booked the last available carriage, and paid the driver the fee, while Lucy and Happy got in, Natsu waited for Devlin to try his spell. "Right, we're all paid up", Devlin was about to board the carriage however stopped when he saw Natsu looking at him expectantly "Ah yes, I said I'd try and relieve you of your motion sickness didn't I" Natsu nodded, as Devlin began to cast his spell, _ **Remedium.**_ As Devlin cast his spell Natsu felt a serene calmness flow over him, and started to board the carriage, wondering if it would actually work.

Finally Devlin boarded the carriage and signalled the carriage driver that everything was set, and so the four set off on their way to Magnolia.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Well that was something, honestly didn't think I would write this much on Hargeon, but there we go. So a lot of things happen in this chapter, Devlin meets up with Natsu, Happy and Lucy. Natsu destroys Bora and Devlin also makes a connection with Igneel, who seems to be aware of his past. What will happen there I wonder?**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Road to Magnolia

**A/N: Third chapter down! I'm quite surprised with myself at how motivated I am to keep writing this now that I've started, the more I write the more ideas I seem to get. So this chapter continues directly after the last with Natsu, Devlin, Happy and Lucy in the carriage just after the events in Hargeon. Enjoy!**

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Large Creature/Booming Voice** "

"LOUD SPEECH"

 _ **Magical Abilities**_

"IT WORKED!" Natsu shouted as the carriage began to move, excited that mobile transport may no longer be the bane of his existence, Devlin sniggered in reaction to Natsu's antics, glad that he could assist the teen with his so called worst enemy. As the four departed from Hargeon on the carriage, Devlin began to channel his magical power, casting a spell, while Natsu, Lucy and Happy looked on, intrigued by his magic. _**Shadowfall: Mystic Orb**_ __Devlin spoke, as a small ball of shadow energy began to form in his hand, and Devlin moved his arm to shoot it outside, having it hover above the carriage. "What was that?" Lucy asked as Natsu and Happy simply looked at Devlin, not knowing what to make of that magic they had just witnessed. "Oh that?" Devlin questioned in response, as he looked at the trio, preparing to give his answer "It's part of my shadowfall magic, the mystic orb spell, as you've seen, creates a small ball of shadow energy, which I can use to scout, conceal objects, attack or defend with, very versatile" he replied, carrying on to say "In this case, I've used it to conceal the carriage, never hurts to have a bit of added security" earning a nod from Lucy and Happy, with Natsu still giving him a dumbfounded look.

"Oh that reminds me, when you saved me on the ship, what was that mist, you seemed to just… come from?" Lucy questioned, finding a lack of better words, causing Devlin to grin slightly while Natsu and Happy listened in, "Ah right, that spell is called dispersion, another part of my shadowfall magic, essentially it transforms the physical body into a mist, really helpful for crossing bodies of water, or stealthy manoeuvres". The three looked on in intrigue as Devlin began explaining the intricacies of his magic, when the driver alerted them they were approaching the village of Honeydew, a village famous for its honey, and by extension, the mead it produced. As the carriage pulled up in the town, the driver unleashed the horses pulling the wagon, allowing them to rest and water.

" _So quiet…"_ the driver thought to himself, as he turned to speak to the group, after taking the horses to the stable. "Unfortunately I won't be able to take you any further" he said as he reached to his belt producing a small money pouch "The roads ahead have become too dangerous to travel, even in daylight…" the driver said as he handed Devlin the pouch of jewel, prompting Devlin to ask "Any reason as to why?" which caused the carriage driver to look down with a sad look on his face "Yeah…" he said sadly before looking back up at the group and continuing his explanation "There's a group of bandits that have holed up along the road, they attack merchant caravans and one of our carriages got hit last week… Bastards killed everyone…"

This statement caused Natsu, Happy and Lucy to recoil in shock, and Devlin to clench his fists in anger, as he calmed himself down Devlin extended the money pouch back to the carriage driver "Keep it" he said to the carriage driver who looked on at him with a confused expression "But… why?" he asked as he reached his hand out to deny Devlin's offer, knowing full well he hadn't delivered the service they paid for "You brought us as far as you could, and told us that the road ahead is too dangerous for you to travel, and for good reason, so as thanks keep the fare" Devlin said with a slight smile, causing the carriage driver to relax and accept his gesture "Thanks", the driver said with a slight nod, and began to tell them of the village's nearby inn "If you don't wanna camp out tonight, there's a small inn on the western side of the village, second building on the right as you approach the village gate, it isn't much, but they offer warm beds and meals, be sure to try the mead too, it's what put the village on the map!" he said as Devlin smirked and replied "Well I could certainly do with a drink, thanks for the information" Devlin said, as he waved an arm in the air, while walking back towards Natsu, Lucy and Happy, causing the carriage driver to do the same as he walked towards the stables where his horses currently were.

"So, wanna head towards the inn?" Devlin said as he approached the group, earning nods in response. As the four journeyed towards the inn, Devlin couldn't help but notice the atmosphere in the village; Natsu with his enhanced senses also picked up on this causing him to pick up his pace until he was side by side with Devlin "You noticed that too, right?" Natsu spoke in a low voice, earning a slight nod in response from Devlin "Yeah… it's too quiet" Devlin responded, seeing this Lucy and Happy also picked up the pace until they had caught up with Natsu and Devlin, "What's going on guys?" she questioned, a slight look of concern on her face to which Devlin responded "It's far too quiet here, and I can't shake the feeling that were being watched" Devlin answered, causing the look of concern to intensify on Lucy's face, with Natsu garnering a more serious expression, while Happy leapt on to his shoulder.

"Let's continue toward the inn for now, but keep your guard up" Devlin said as the four approached the inn the carriage driver spoke of, _"Strange, not a single sound…"_ Devlin thought as he opened the way into the inn, only to be met by pitch darkness as the door slowly cracked open, "Natsu, mind giving us a light?" Devlin asked, "Sure" he replied, steadily lifting up his left arm, and igniting his hand, the blaze illuminating the room and revealing a truly gruesome sight. Upon the floor, were the inn-keep and what appeared to be his wife, lying motionless in a puddle of blood. "Oh my god…" Lucy murmured as she placed both hands over her mouth, not believing the sight before her. Natsu stood looking at the sight with his mouth wide open, not sure what to make of what lay in front of him. Devlin however, all too familiar with the sight of death began to requip his katana, and began casting a spell, _**Shadowfall: Nightshade,**_ Devlin said as the group was encompassed with darkness, Devlin quickly telling Natsu to extinguish his light, as they were left in darkness once more.

Devlin turned to look at his allies as his spell has completely covered them in darkness, giving them a brief moment to collect themselves, "The spell I just cast will give us a few moments, I'll explain what it does later, for now we need to be ready" Devlin said as Natsu still had a look of disbelief in his eyes, while Happy had taken to hiding under Natsu's waistcoat and Lucy still had her hands over her mouth, tears threatening to escape from the corners of her eyes. "I know this looks bad, but if you wanna get out of here, then you're going to have to be strong, I can tell you've never seen anything like this before and believe me, it isn't easy to deal with at first, but if you don't wanna end up like them, then snap out of it!" Devlin shouted as Natsu came back to his senses, looking at Devlin with a terrified expression. "It'll be alright, we'll get out of this…" Devlin said who began to approach Lucy, who was still on the verge of tears. Devlin gently placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a confident smile as she began to look at him, tears still brimming in the corners of her eyes "We'll get out of this, and join Fairy Tail Lucy, just be strong, I know this looks bad, but trust me I've been through worse…" Devlin said as Lucy slowly started to regain her composure "Okay…" she replied in a weak voice, while Natsu had just managed to coax Happy from underneath his waistcoat, looking him in the eye with his trademark grin, hoping that the expression would comfort him, "Come on Happy, just think of all the fish you can get when we get back to Magnolia!" Natsu said to Happy, trying to be strong for his partner, making sure to mention the one thing that Happy could not resist "aye, sir…" he said weakly in response but looked up at Natsu with a look of determination, to which Natsu responded with a quick nod, "That's the spirit!"

"Alright, chances are these are the bandits the carriage driver spoke of, but be ready for anything" Devlin said as he waved his hand in front of him, the spell he has previously cast beginning to dissipate, Natsu taking combat stance, and Lucy placing her hand over her gate keys. After Devlin's spell had been withdrawn, he walked outside of the inn, taking a few moments to observe their surroundings, "Too quiet…"he said as he gestured for the others to move outside of the inn with him.

"Stay close, and let's move for the village gate" Devlin said, as the others looked on at him with uncertainty. "There's so many…" Natsu whispered, his enhanced senses picking up on the footsteps of the assailants as they slowly moved towards the village gate. As they were about to open the gate, a large volley of magical attacks emerged from the darkness, aimed directly towards the group. _**Aias!**_ Devlin shouted, a large barrier projecting itself in front of Devlin's hand, blocking the attacks as Natsu, Happy and Lucy stood there, watching Devlin block wave after wave of attacks. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? RUN!" Devlin shouted as the barrage continued, forcing him back a few feet while he maintained the barrier. Natsu realising what Devlin just said shouted back "NOT HAPPENIN, THERE AIN'T NO WAY I'D ABANDON MY FRIENDS!", Natsu shouted back a determined grin on his face as he ignited his fists, to which Happy shouted "Aye, Sir!" which caused Devlin to glance over his shoulder, seeing the looks on Happy and Natsu's faces _"Friends?"_ he thought to himself, the notion of anyone calling him friend being lost a long time ago. "Yeah, you said we'd both make it to Fairy Tail, right?" Lucy said, smiling in his direction, her hand hovering over her gate keys. Smirking Devlin turned back to face the barrier and the still oncoming wave of magical attacks "Alright then… LET'S TRY THIS!" _**Expulse!**_ Devlin shouted, exploding the magical barrier, and sending a large shockwave out after it, causing the attacks still flying his way to reverse, scattering them all over the village.

"RUN FOR IT!" Devlin shouted as he began to run towards the village gate, with the others quickly following. The group made it through the village gate and out into the dark wilderness, _"Strange… they don't appear to be pursuing us"_ Devlin thought as he glanced back at the village. The group kept running for what seemed like hours, eventually reaching a cobbled path, lanterns lighting the cobblestone below. "We should be safe for now; they don't appear to be following us" Devlin said between breaths. "What was that about!?" Natsu shouted, as Lucy and Happy sat down on the road beside him, "Honestly I don't know, but they appeared to be far too organised for simple bandits, a dark guild maybe?" Devlin responded as Natsu caught his breath, the grisly sight of the innkeep and his wife returning to his mind.

(In the village)

"You sure about letting them go boss?" one cloaked figure said to another, the latter of which appeared to be the leader of the group "Yes, the one who made that barrier, there's something I need to confirm about him, don't bother chasing after them for now" he said to the figure who approached him, causing the figure to nod before returning to the rest of his group _"That power… I've never felt anything like it before; could he be the one responsible for Ghorrok's death?"_ He thought to himself before beginning to bark orders at his subordinates "Burn the village! Leave nothing for the council dogs to pick up, and if you should find any survivors… kill them!" he shouted as his followers began using their magic to set the village ablaze, the carriage driver from earlier being one of the many people slaughtered by the dark guild that night. "I'm certain our paths will cross again, and when they do… I WILL kill you" the man said aloud as he and his followers turned to leave the burning village, disappearing into the forest.

(Back on the road)

Devlin sighed as he grabbed his flask, slightly annoyed when only a few drops of whiskey fell onto his lips _"Damn it old man… I said you could have a bit, not drink the whole fucking thing!"_ he thought as he recalled Larius asking if he take a swig from his flask a few days prior to them reaching the Fiore border. _"Wonder if he's reached Mount Zonia yet…"_ Devlin thought to himself again, as he Natsu, Lucy and Happy rested at the side of the road, the latter three still unnerved by the events in the village. "We should get moving soon, it's too risky too stay in one spot" Devlin said as he looked towards the group, Natsu and Happy sighing exhaustedly as they picked themselves up from the ground. "The further we get away from that village the better, though I can see you're all exhausted" Devlin said as the others looked at him with tired eyes, seeing they might collapse at any moment if they pushed any further _"What just happened will be a lot harder on them than me… it might be better to set up camp, I can keep watch if need be"_ Devlin pondered as he began to scan the area for a suitable place to make camp "How can you be like that?" Lucy suddenly spoke up, causing Devlin to take a step back in surprise "Like what?" he responded, only for Lucy to glare at him through tearful eyes "You know what I mean! Those villagers, you didn't care that they were dead at all!" she said in a raised voice, causing Devlin to look down with a solemn look on his face "It's… not that I don't care Lucy… where I'm from, there was a terrible war that went on for far too long…" Devlin said as he knelt down to Lucy, looking her directly in the eyes "I care, I really do, but after you've seen something so many times… you just become indifferent, and my main priority there was to make sure my friends got out of that situation alive" Devlin said as he thought back to what Natsu said in the village, giving Lucy a slight smile as he prepared to stand up "Okay…" she said weakly in response, desperately trying to fight back the tears _"How many times do you have to see something as horrible as that to get used to it?"_ she thought, still fighting back tears as she looked at Devlin through sad and tired eyes.

"So you fought in a war?" Natsu asked bluntly, causing Devlin to stop what he was doing and look at the ground, a faraway look in his eyes, "Yes… but I'd rather not go into the details right now, it's a... touchy subject…" as Devlin finished talking he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder to which he turned around to see Natsu giving him one of his thousand-watt grins "Well don't worry about it! Almost everyone in Fairy Tail has some sort of baggage, its part of what makes us a family!" Natsu said as he looked at Devlin, Happy jumping onto Natsu's shoulder shouting "Aye!" as he landed "Thanks man" Devlin said with a grin as the two gave each other a friendly fist bump.

"You ready Lucy?" Devlin asked as he offered her a hand to help her up, "Yeah…" she said exhaustedly accepting Devlin's offer of assistance to stand up, her legs still aching after all of the running they had just done. "I can see a clearing in the mountains over there that would make a decent camp site, I don't mind staying up to keep lookout, and I have plenty of supplies in my requip space" Devlin said to the group "I wouldn't mind, but are you sure it's okay with what happened in the village, wouldn't those guys be after us?" Lucy asked, with Natsu and Happy nodding in agreement, "We'll be fine as long as one of us stays up, I'll also cast a few protective spells about the camp to make sure and I didn't sense anyone chasing us as we left the village" Devlin said as he began to pull a few bedrolls from his requip space, to which the group nodded, and began to head to the area that Devlin had previously pointed out, a small clearing in a mountain, not too far from the road which also had a small river nearby.

"How come you have so many supplies?" Lucy asked, "I was travelling with a buddy of mine, we split up when we made it into Fiore, the other stuff is just spare equipment I keep" Devlin replied as he finished taking camping supplies from his requip space, "D'you guys mind getting these set up? I'll go and set some traps in the river and set some protective spells" Devlin asked, "Sure", "No problem", "Aye, sir!" Lucy, Natsu and Happy responded respectively, earning a nod from Devlin as he began to exit the clearing.

 _ **Shadowfall: Illusory Darkness,**_ Devlin spoke as shadows began to manifest around the clearings entrance, before taking form and making the clearing appear to be part of the mountain range, _**Shadowfall: Grasping Tendrils,**_ he said as several balls of dark energy began to leave his hand, each going towards a certain location, and setting themselves on the ground, becoming invisible after a brief moment. After setting these precautions, Devlin using his knowledge of survival techniques, crafted a few fish traps out of nearby sticks and reeds, placing them in the river at strategic locations, hoping they would catch tomorrows breakfast. As he went to return to the camp Devlin cast another spell, this time on himself _**Shadowfall: Concealment**_ he said as dark energy began to cascade over him, soon rendering him completely invisible as he began to make his way back towards the camp.

As he returned, he could see Lucy and Happy had finished setting up the small tents and laid the bedrolls in them, while Natsu had gathered a few twigs for a fire, and used his magic to light it. "What's taking Devlin so long…?" Natsu said as he began to look towards the entry of the clearing, "Watch this…" Devlin whispered to Lucy while still invisible, causing Lucy to jump slightly before realising who it was, as she nodded in response. "Nothing, I'm right here" Devlin said, while still concealed by his magic. "A GHOST!" Natsu and Happy shouted comically as they grabbed each other, causing Lucy to laugh and Devlin to reveal himself sitting on a rock at the back of the camp with a smirk on his face, "Sorry, couldn't resist" Devlin said holding back a laugh, causing Natsu to look at him with a grin "I'll get you for that", "Yeah, me too!" Natsu said with Happy following up, "Please, do try" Devlin responded coyly as they began to relax, the events of the day finally starting to take their toll.

"So that magic you used while we were in the village, what was it?" Natsu asked as he looked toward Devlin, curious as to what he did "You mean the magic I cast inside the inn?" Devlin responded with a question, as the rest of the group grimaced, returning their memory to the sight of the inn-keep and his wife "Yeah… that" Natsu responded, an unhealthy look on his face as he did "Apologies, that wasn't very tactful" Devlin said as he began to think of a way to explain his magic "Well, as I started to explain earlier in the carriage, my magic is known as Shadowfall, which as the name suggests focuses on the manipulation of shadows" Devlin began to explain the others listening intently as their minds started to fade away from the sight at the inn, "That particular technique, nightshade, creates a magical barrier around an area for a short time, acting as a pocket dimension of sorts, allowing those inside a momentary reprieve. To those inside the barrier it will appear as if they are standing in an empty void, while to those outside, it will appear as if they have vanished completely" Devlin continued his explanation, earning nods from Happy and Lucy while Natsu looked as if his brain had just blew a fuse. "The one I used to re-enter the camp is known as concealment, which creates a barrier of shadow energy around the caster, completely absorbing any light it comes into contact with, which is why I appear invisible" he said as he looked over to Natsu and smirked "Well, why don't you all get some rest and I'll continue the explanation tomorrow, it looks like Natsu is about to fry a few brain cells" to which Happy quipped "I doubt that, I don't think there's any up there to fry…" which caused Natsu to immediately shout "SHUT IT HAPPY" earning laughs from Lucy and Devlin.

"Well I think I'm gonna get some sleep, night guys" Lucy said tiredly, as she began to crawl into her tent, slowly zipping up the front, to which Natsu responded "Yeah, me too, you sure you're ok with staying up Devlin?" to which Devlin replied, "Yeah it's not a problem, I'm quite used to it after travelling to Fiore" earning a nod from Natsu as both he and Happy began to crawl into their tent, also zipping up the front. As they did, Devlin took out his smoking pipe and lit it, taking a drag and leant against a rock, allowing himself a moment to relax as he gazed at the night sky. " **You are different from what the stories suggest** ", Devlin snapped forward as a booming voice entered his mind _"Igneel!?"_ he questioned telepathically, earning a low grunt in approval _"Those stories are from a distant time when the war was at its peak… the time when I had my humanity forcefully revoked …"_ Devlin stated, as a discontent look began to form on his face " **I see… and what of your compatriot?** " Igneel responded, causing Devlin to sigh and only respond with _"He's… fine"_ , leading Igneel to let out a thoughtful huff before speaking again " **I suppose that's all you'll say on the matter, just know I'll be watching you closely** " Igneel stated before leaving Devlin's mind, _"I'd expect no less…"_ Devlin thought, before finally succumbing to fatigue, knowing that the traps he'd set would alert him of any unwanted guests.

After a thankfully peaceful night, Devlin awoke early the next morning and after stretching, decided to go and check the traps he'd set the night before and see if there were any edible plants or mushrooms nearby that he could use for breakfast. As Devlin scouted about, he heard a peculiar noise coming from the river _"that sounds like a deer…"_ he thought to himself, quickly readying his magic _**Shadowfall: Mystic Orb,**_ he said as a dark ball of energy appeared in his hand, which he used to survey the river, and find the cause of the noise. As Devlin suspected, a doe had made its way to the riverbank, currently trying to make its way into the traps Devlin had laid the night before, hoping for a free breakfast. _"Not happening"_ Devlin thought as he moved the orb to the side of the doe making it explode, scaring the doe away before it could break his traps. "Well, at least that means we've got breakfast" Devlin said as he made his way to the riverbank, collecting the traps and then making his way back to camp.

Just as Devlin arrived back, Natsu had started to stir from his sleep, letting out a loud yawn and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. As he stretched, his gaze turned towards Happy, who was still sleeping peacefully despite yesterday's events, causing Natsu to grin as he thought _"Sleep tight little buddy"_. Natsu gently undid the zip on the tent so as not to disturb Happy and stood up, taking a deep breath, inhaling the fresh morning air. "Sleep well?" Devlin asked, causing Natsu to look in his direction "Yeah, even with all the crap that happened yesterday" Natsu replied, his eyes turning to what Devlin brought back with him. "So what's for chow?" Natsu asked as Devlin added a few twigs and sticks to the fire pit, "Some fish, mushrooms and a few berries I found, should make a nice soup" Devlin responded as he gestured for Natsu to use his magic to light the fire. "Did someone say fish?" Happy said as he poked his head through the tent door, rubbing one of his eyes as he began to wake up.

The three continued to converse as Devlin prepared breakfast, the smell of food rousing Lucy from her sleep. "Morning guys" she said after undoing the zip on the tent, the smell of breakfast intensifying as she stepped outside the tents boundary. "Morning" they all replied, as Devlin began to serve up breakfast, passing a hearty serving to Natsu, Happy and Lucy, before placing some pine needles in boiling water, making a quick tea, pouring a cup for everyone. After thanking Devlin for the food, they all began to dig in "SO GOOD!" Natsu and Happy shouted in unison, devouring the contents of the first bowl and looking eagerly towards Devlin for seconds, who while smirking, gestured for them to help themselves. "Yeah this is really good! Where'd you learn to cook like this?" Lucy asked Devlin "I picked most of it up on the road, really nice to have a decent meal every so often when you're travelling a lot" he replied, eating another spoonful of the soup afterwards.

After they had all finished breakfast, they each took their turns visiting the river to have a quick wash, and started gathering up the camping equipment before once again setting out on their way to Magnolia, which according to the map Devlin had, was a few hours walk away from where they were. "We're walking there aren't we…?" Lucy said with a defeated look on her face, to which Devlin responded with a smirk "My offer of carrying you still stands by the way", to which Lucy immediately responded "NONONO, it's fine" as a blush crept on to her cheeks again, Happy began to float towards Lucy, his paws covering his mouth as he giggled "DON'T YOU DARE CAT" she shouted, causing Natsu and Devlin to laugh. After the little teasing event Devlin finished packing up the rest of his camping gear into his requip space "Well that's all done, you guys ready?" he asked the group, each nodding back with a smile as they made their final preparations to embark on their journey towards Magnolia and by extension, Fairy Tail.

"Oh by the way Devlin, when we get back to the guild, you and me are gonna rumble!" Natsu exclaimed, causing Devlin to smirk and reply "You're on".

End Chapter

 **A/N: And so here we are at the end of the third chapter! A lot happens here, as we learn more about Devlin's magic, encounter some shady figures in Honeydew village and see that Igneel seems to have taken an interest in Devlin.**

 **If you like what you see please follow/favourite, maybe even leave a review! It'd really help me out.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4: Destination, Fairy Tail

**A/N: So here we are with the fourth chapter, which picks up after the events of the third where Natsu, Devlin, Happy and Lucy camped out in the Fiore wilderness after the encounter at Honeydew. This chapter explores what happens when the group finally reach Magnolia, and introduces a few more characters. Some of the events here occur in the Anime though they'll be in a different order so the story makes sense, while others are part of the fic.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

Speech key:

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Large Creature/Booming Voice** "

"LOUD SPEECH"

 _ **Magical Abilities**_

"HOME, SWEET HOME!" Natsu shouted, Happy following up with a resounding "AYE SIR!" as the group approached the outskirts of Magnolia, their long journey finally drawing to a close. The group passed through the Magnolia gate, with Devlin and Lucy taking in the sights of Magnolia City. "Nice place" Devlin said as he observed the many shops and restaurants, the city having just about everything that one could need "Yeah, it's so pretty here!" Lucy replied, awestruck by what Magnolia had to offer as well. "If you think this is good, wait 'till you see the guild hall!" Natsu shouted, his excitement overflowing as they began to near Fairy Tail. "So I'm assuming this 'gramps' you referred to is the guild master?" Devlin asked, his mind returning to what Natsu told him in Hargeon "Yeah, his real names Makarov, but we all just call him gramps" Natsu replied, as they turned the final corner, the Fairy Tail guild hall now in sight.

"Well, here we are!" Natsu said as he stood proudly in front of the guild hall, "Charming, so what's it like on the inside?" Devlin asked as Lucy stood by his side, eager to enter the guild that she'd always dreamed to be a member of. Natsu grinned as he threw open the doors to the guild hall shouting "WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!" as he did, the guild members who were present all welcoming their comrades back after their absence, afterwards turning to Devlin and Lucy "Well come on guys, welcome to Fairy Tail!" he said, flashing one of his famous grins at Devlin and Lucy, Happy also shouting "Yeah come on! Time for you two to become Fairy Tail wizards!" before turning to fly into the guild hall, Lucy excitedly running in, while Devlin looked up at the building in front of him _"Well… I reached my destination Larius, how about you?"_ he thought to himself before entering the guild hall and heading to the bar where Natsu, Happy and Lucy had found themselves seats.

"Welcome back Natsu, Happy!" a young woman called from behind the bar, her silver hair tied in a frontal pony tail, she has blue eyes, a curvaceous figure, an ankle length maroon dress which was accented with pink bows, a blue opal necklace and a bracelet made from flowers. This beauty was none other than Fairy Tails calling card, Mirajane Strauss, "Hey Mira!" Natsu and Happy replied, "So how'd it go, find Igneel?" Mira questioned only for Natsu to place one of his hands behind his head, flashing his signature grin "Nope! Total bust, I did find some new friends though!" as he gestured toward Lucy, noticing Devlin wasn't there, turning around to see him approaching the bar. "Wow its Mirajane, in the flesh!" Lucy squealed in a total fangirl moment, as Devlin took a seat at the bar, "Greetings, miss" said Devlin, greeting the snow-haired beauty before him formally, causing her to give him a gleaming smile in response "Hi! My names Mirajane Strauss, but just call me Mira, all my friends do!" as Devlin and Lucy returned introductions.

As Devlin, Lucy and Mira finished their introductions, a certain raven-haired man with dark blue eyes made his appearance known, this man known as Gray Fullbuster was wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers and a silver chain necklace, instantly gunning after Natsu "SO THE PYRO MADE IT BACK, HUH!?" he said as he glared at Natsu, who quickly turned around returning an insult of his own "WHAT D'YOU JUST CALL ME SNOWCONE!?" Natsu shouted angrily, before charging at Gray, the two locking heads the first chance they got. "Those two always like that?" Devlin asked as Lucy looked on, confused by the sudden actions of Natsu as Happy sat on the bar cheering on his partner as he clashed heads with his rival. "Yup Natsu and Gray are always at each other's throats, I just leave them to it" Mira said, her smile never fading for a second. "So! Are you two here to join the guild?" Mira asked, and as Devlin was about to answer, a stray chair from the fight between Natsu and Gray collided with his face "Oh my!" Mira said, as the chair slid down Devlin's face to reveal an unimpressed expression. "NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID FIRECLOWN, YOU HIT THAT GUY!" Gray shouted at Natsu, for him to immediately respond "ME!? YOU WERE THE ONE THAT THREW THE CHAIR PERVERT; ALL I DID WAS HIT IT AWAY!"

As the comedy duo continued their war of insults, Devlin picked up the chair that had previously connected with him and launched it towards Gray, which hit him square in the face. Natsu immediately fell to the floor laughing, as Gray picked himself up "WHAT THE HELL!?" Gray shouted as he looked toward Devlin, "Apologies, my hand slipped" Devlin said with a smirk on his face, as Mira and Lucy giggled, "YOU LOOKIN FOR A FIGHT!?" Gray shouted once more as he approached Devlin, an intimidating look on his face, to which Devlin replied "I'm all for friendly rivalry, however I'm not into fighting guys who walk about in their smallclothes, might give people the wrong idea" Devlin said "What?" Gray responded, unsure of what Devlin was implying, "Your clothes Gray!" a female voice called out from the further end of the bar causing Gray to look down and see that he had unknowingly removed most of his clothes "WHEN'D THIS HAPPEN!?" he shouted in shock, frantically running off to look about the guild hall for his lost clothing "COME BACK HERE STRIPPER, WE AIN'T DONE YET!" Natsu shouted as he charged off after him. "Ugh… this is why I don't date the men here, they have no class" the female voice said once again, as she moved over to take a seat next to Devlin allowing him to get a good look at her as she approached, this woman had long flowing brunette hair, brown eyes and an ample bust, she wears a blue bikini top, a pair of brown capri pants and a pair of high-heeled sandals to complete the outfit, "You look like you know how to have fun though" she said as she sat down, giving Devlin a friendly look, "Depends on what kind of fun you're after" Devlin said coyly, causing Cana to smirk as she began to introduce herself "I'm Cana, anytime you want a drink, hit me up" she said as Devlin began to respond "Names Devlin, though in terms of drink… I'm not so sure you'd be able to keep up with me".

With that said, Cana began to lean forward, exposing her already scantily clad cleavage to Devlin even more than before "Is that a challenge?" she asked, excited at the prospect of having a drinking partner "It is now" Devlin said with a grin as he repeated Cana's action, the two now mere inches away from each other. "Hi! I'm Lucy" Lucy interrupted, causing Devlin and Cana who were now dangerously close to one another to back away, "Hi Lucy" Cana said as she stopped her advances, returning to her drink, as Devlin gave Lucy a sly smirk before turning back to Mira "So Mira, got any whiskey behind there?" Devlin asked, "Sure do, any kind you want in particular?" Mira responded with a question, never dropping her smile for a second, "I'll take whatever's strongest" he said as he glanced over in Cana's direction, as Mira reached for a bottle on the top shelf and began to uncork it, pouring him a shot.

As Devlin drank his whiskey Cana looked in his direction "Starting small are we?" she said Devlin placed the glass back on the counter "I'd rather savour the moment while I'm surrounded by such lovely company" he said playfully, a smirk appearing on his face, which caused the three girls to blush slightly. Mira quickly composing herself started to speak "Now you've settled in a bit, I'll go and fetch the master and tell him the good news!" she said as she left the bar, going up a flight of stairs towards the master's office. During this time, the fight between Natsu and Gray had escalated, causing some of the other guild members to join in and before long, one of Fairy Tail's famous brawls had broken out. As the brawl intensified a brute of a man walked into the centre of the guild hall his outfit consisting of a dark blue jacket, held together by large buttons, on the back of which was the symbol for 'the greatest', dark blue pants which matched his jacket, the outfit finished with a pair of traditional geta sandals. As he approached the centre of the guild hall he began to speak "Only noon and you're all acting like a bunch of spoiled babies" the large man said as Natsu and Gray interrupted their fight for a brief moment, both turning to punch this man, sending him flying towards Devlin. Devlin saw the man flying towards him and sighed as he said "Again…?" this time however, he placed his hand forward and used his magic to expel a small gust of wind, slowing the man's flight speed, causing him to land at Devlin's feet. Devlin looked at the man who began to pick himself up and turned to Devlin "Hey" Devlin said as the man began to speak "You're new here right?" he asked, as Devlin nodded in response "Well I'm Elfman! The manliest man in this guild, and don't you forget it!" he said as the man now known as Elfman charged back into the fray as he shouted "MANLY BATTLE!", punching both Natsu and Gray, this time sending them flying.

The brawl still happening, Mira began to descend the stairs and retake her place at the bar as Lucy asked her a question "Shouldn't we like… stop them, they're going to destroy the guild hall at this rate" to which Mira smiled and responded "Oh it's always like this here, I just leave them alone, plus its fun don't you think?" Mira replied as a beer glass flew towards her at a decent speed, just before it connected, Devlin extended his hand and caught it, setting it down gently on the bar top.

"My, what a gentleman" Mira said leaning on the bar top towards Devlin "Only doing what any man should in that situation, my lady" Devlin replied, though before the moment could go any further a large figure made its way into the centre of the guild hall " **Would you fools stop bickering like children!?** " as everyone in the guild hall came to a dead stop, save for Natsu who began laughing as he said "Man talk about a bunch of scaredy cats! Looks like I won this roUHH" the giant figure stamping on Natsu before he could finish his statement, " **Now, it seems we have new recruits** " the giant figure said before starting to reduce in size, until an old man appeared who was roughly the height of a toddler. The man was wearing an orange and blue striped jester hat, an orange hoodie, underneath which was a white t-shirt with the Fairy Tail symbol adorning the middle and he wore matching orange shorts and finished the outfit with brown jester-style shoes.

The old man raised an arm, greeting the two new recruits to the guild, "Nice to meet ya!" he said, while the rest of the guild were picking themselves up and going back to what they were doing before the brawl. Devlin spoke "Greetings, I take it you're the guild master?" while Lucy sat there dumbfounded, shocked that the giant from moments ago had just morphed in to this tiny man, "Indeed, names Makarov Dreyar, though you'll hear most of the guild refer to as me master or gramps" Devlin nodded in response and followed up with a question "So, how do we go about joining?" he said, as Lucy listened intently, "Mira, go fetch the stamp would you my dear?" Makarov asked Mira for her to reply "Of course!" walking into a room behind the bar, and moments later returning with a stamp that had the Fairy Tail symbol on it. "So, who's first" Mira said as she returned to the bar, while Makarov had sat down on the bar top, helping himself to a tankard of beer "Ladies first" Devlin said, as he glanced in Lucy's direction, earning a smile in response. Mira walked over to Lucy and asked "Where would you like it, and what colour?" to which Lucy responded "Pink! And on the back of my hand please!" she said, ecstatic that her dream of joining Fairy Tail was about to come true. Mira placed the stamp on Lucy's hand, and sure enough a pink guild emblem had appeared, Lucy began to jump around and ran off to find Natsu, who had since recovered from being squished, and made his way to the job request board.

"You're next! Where and what colour?" Mira said as she turned to Devlin with the stamp in hand, "Hmm, my upper right arm, black please" Devlin said, while Mira nodded and began to place the stamp on his unarmoured arm, a few seconds later a black Fairy Tail emblem appearing where the stamp once was, "There! Now you're now both official members of the Fairy Tail guild!" Mira said to both Lucy and Devlin, the former of whom had just returned to the bar after thanking Natsu for bringing her to Fairy Tail. _"Now then, on to business"_ , Makarov thought to himself as he stood up, jumping up onto the railing of the second floor "Listen up!" he shouted, gaining the attention of everyone in the guild "You've gone and done it again! Just look at the pile of paperwork the council sent me this time!" he shouted while holding a decently stacked pile of paper in one hand "All you kids are good for is getting the higher ups mad at me!" he followed up to say, causing some of the guild members to look down in shame "However… I say screw the magic council!" as he set the pile of paper alight with magic and threw it, to which Natsu jumped at and proceeded to eat "Now then, any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason right? Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power, it's a talent that only works when the flow of energy within us and in the natural world are in perfect synchronisation!" Makarov spoke, the entire guild remaining quiet as he carried on his speech "To perform magic one must have a strong mind, and the ability to focus; it should take over your being and come pouring from your very soul! Don't let the council blowhards scare you, follow the path you believe in, cus that's what makes the Fairy Tail guild… NUMBER ONE!" he concluded, throwing his arm into the air in Fairy Tail's signature salute, the rest of the guild members doing the same and cheering.

"Now, onto the second order of business!" Makarov shouted, the guild becoming quiet once more "We have two new members joining our family today!" as he gestured towards Devlin and Lucy, the former of who, nodded in response, while Lucy gave a wave to everyone, "Now let's make them feel welcome in a way that only Fairy Tail can… PARTY!" he shouted which was met with a resounding "YEAH!" from the rest of the guild, as its members began to drink, dance and introduce themselves to the newest additions of the Fairy Tail family.

It was during the festivities, that a certain man approached Lucy; he had orange hair and sported a pair of glasses over hazel eyes. His outfit consisted of a green jacket, a red shirt, black cargo pants and white sneakers. "Wow… you're just so gorgeous" he said while adjusting his glasses, his gaze directed towards Lucy, "I'll have to keep my glasses on just to look at you, or I'll be blinded by your dazzling beauty" he said as Lucy sighed and thought _"Girls fall for this routine…?"_ the man took a few more steps forward, however he then noticed a certain set of keys which adorned Lucy's hip "You're not a celestial wizard are you!?" he reacted frantically, Lucy surprised at the sudden reaction "Yeah, why?" she replied, as the man began to run out of the guild hall shouting "Curse you fate, why must you toy with me so!?"

"Interesting guy" Devlin said, looking on as the man ran out of the guild, "Oh that was Loke, Fairy Tails resident playboy" Mira began to explain, "He went on a date with a celestial wizard once and it didn't end very well" she finished, causing Lucy to laugh a bit "No wonder if he uses lame pick-up lines like that…" she said, causing Devlin to snicker. "Yo, Devlin!" Natsu shouted as he approached the bar, a grin on his face "Time for us to rumble!" he shouted again as he began to crack his knuckles, readying himself for the fight that Devlin had promised him, "Ah yes, I did say I'd give you a fight when we arrived didn't I…" Devlin said as he prepared to stand up, stretching as he did "Well then, shouldn't we move to a more open area, I wouldn't want to anyone else to get caught up in our little one on one" Devlin said as he looked at Natsu, a determined look on his face "Alright I know just the place, come on Happy!" Natsu said as he turned to leave the guild hall, with Devlin following behind "Aye, sir!" Happy said as he began to fly after Natsu and Devlin, "Hey wait up, I wanna watch too!" Lucy shouted as she began to run after the trio, eager to see their sparring match. Mira smiled as the four left the guild hall _"They'll fit right in"_ she thought to herself as she went back to waiting tables in the hall, catching a glimpse of Makarov also tailing the group.

After a few minutes of walking, the group had reached a small clearing in a forest, around the outskirts of Magnolia. Makarov still tailing them had found himself a seat on a tree branch, a few meters above the rest of the group, "So, you ready?" Devlin asked Natsu, who ignited his fists in response "Oh yeah, you're goin down!" he said while taking combat stance "Get him Natsu" Happy shouted while throwing his fist in the air, as Lucy sat down on the grass beside Happy, "Very well…" Devlin followed, as he began to work his magic. _**Shadowfall: Mystic Orb**_ Devlin said as the spell began to manifest in his hand, a few moments later shooting off towards Natsu, who in response dodged and charged towards Devlin, the orb colliding with a hillside and disappearing. _**Fire Dragon Iron Fist!**_ Natsu shouted as his fist inched towards Devlin's face that, in response, let out a sly grin as he channelled his magic once more, _**Shadowfall: Dispersion**_ he said as Natsu's fist was seconds away from his face causing Natsu to punch straight through him, as Devlin became a mist, reappearing behind Natsu, landing a knee to Natsu's back causing him to fly forward a few meters as he stabilised himself, turning back towards Devlin, "Nice trick" Natsu said grinning following up with "Here's one of mine!" _**Fire Dragons Roar!**_ He shouted, a cone of flame leaving Natsu's mouth heading directly towards Devlin _**Shadowfall: Nightshade**_ he said as darkness overtook his form before the attack engulfed him completely. As the flames from Natsu's roar dispersed, a small area of pitch black darkness became visible, to which Devlin emerged from. "Not bad, but not good enough" he said as he waved his hand, dispelling his nightshade spell. "Now, I believe that was a good enough warm up" he said, bringing one of his hands into the air, "Let's see how good those senses of yours are… dragon slayer" _**Shadowfall: Eternal Night!**_ Devlin shouted as dark energy began to leave his hand and expand rapidly, causing the area around them to be surrounded in perpetual darkness, "I can't see a thing!" Happy shouted as he and Lucy both began to quiver in fear, the darkness reminding them of the sight from the day before. "Fear not, my children" Makarov spoke as he descended from the tree branch, his hand expelling a light that illuminated the area around them, the light comforting both Happy and Lucy, their expressions easing as the light intensified.

Natsu however was still in the thick of the darkness, he too remembering the grisly sight at the village; fell to all fours, shaking in fear. " **Get up Natsu** " a voice rang out in his mind, causing Natsu to freeze momentarily, the voice reminiscent of his lost father, Igneel. " **GET UP** " the voice shouted once more, a wave of courage flowing through Natsu as he returned to his feet. Engulfing himself in flame, Natsu began to channel all of his magical energy into his next attack. _**Fire Dragons Blaze Nova!**_ He shouted, the blaze that surrounded him being expelled in every direction, burning away the darkness that Devlin had created, who was taken aback by the action, "Impressive, Natsu" he said, still standing in the same spot he was before casting his spell, as he looked towards the dragon slayer, who was now heavily panting "I've never faced an opponent before who has managed to break the eternal night, for that… you have my respect" he said as Natsu ignited his fists again, ready to continue their battle. "This does mean however… I will have to take our fight more seriously" Devlin said as he requipped his katana, before placing his right hand on the hilt, and in the blink of an eye, drew the blade and placed it at Natsu's neck before he had the chance to react. "Good fight" Devlin said as he smirked, Natsu unsure of how to react to Devlin's speed, fell backwards, a stunned expression on his face as he looked up at the man who had beat him with a single move.

" **I said my existence must remain a secret** ", a booming voice said angrily as it invaded Devlin's mind, causing Devlin to sneer as he responded telepathically _"No one asked you to interfere, Igneel"_ earning a low growl from the dragon, as Devlin followed up with _"I was merely testing the boy's ability to overcome fear, with your assistance, he's accomplished something that none who've faced me have before"_ he said, as a prideful laugh came from Igneel as he said " **Until next time, Shadow of Death** " and then exiting Devlin's mind _"Dragons…"_ Devlin thought to himself as he extended a hand to Natsu "You did good kid" Devlin said with an honest smile, Natsu accepting his offer of help, came back to his feet.

"Thanks… but what WAS that?" Natsu questioned, causing Devlin's expression to turn serious, "Yes, I'd like to know as well" Makarov spoke up, he too garnering a serious expression, "Master Makarov" Devlin said as he nodded in his direction, knowing that the master had followed them, sighed in defeat as he placed a hand behind his head, responding with "I'll explain when we're back at the guild, in private preferably" as Makarov nodded, Lucy and Happy still looking at Devlin with the slightest hint of fear in their eyes, began to stand up, as the group made their way back to the guild hall.

As soon as they returned, Makarov lead Devlin towards his private office, showing him in Makarov gestured for Devlin to take a seat, as Makarov closed the door and took and sat atop his desk. "Your magic my boy… I've never seen anything quite like it" Makarov said as he looked towards Devlin, who began to explain his magic to Fairy Tail's master, "My magic is known as Shadowfall, I can tell you're curious as to one part in particular though" Devlin said, Makarov's gaze not shifting for a moment, "The spell, eternal night, creates an illusion of pitch black darkness… useful for many things" Devlin said as Makarov replied "And what does it do?" Makarov asked, causing Devlin to expand on his brief explanation, "In the light, our external being is on display, we act as the person we want the world to see" Devlin said, Makarov's eyes narrowing at Devlin's response, "In the dark however…" Devlin paused as he locked eyes with Makarov "In the darkness is where our true identity is revealed" Makarov clenched his fists at Devlin's words, but Devlin continued to speak, causing him to relent, curious as to why Devlin used this magic "Yesterday, as we were travelling to Magnolia, we passed through Honeydew village…" Devlin said causing Makarov's eyes to widen in shock "Honeydew!? I received a missive from the council this morning, that told of that village being reduced to ash, all the villagers dead or missing…" he said, as Devlin continued his explanation "Yes… we arrived before the blaze consumed the village, and we happened upon a terrible sight as we entered the inn…" Devlin said, looking down as he spoke, Makarov's anger disappearing as he was starting to understand the situation. "We found the corpses of the inn-keep and his wife, lying in a puddle of their own blood, I could tell Natsu, Happy and Lucy had never seen death before… their reactions told me everything" Devlin said a sorrowful look appearing in his eyes, "We got out of there, and I did everything I could to distract them from the sight, what I did today was terrible yes…, but necessary" Devlin said as his gaze shifted towards the window of Makarovs office "I understand" said Makarov, as he too shifted his gaze toward the window, "People can say many things about themselves, and how they would act in certain situations… but until they face those situations, they can only guess at how they might respond" Makarov said as Devlin responded with a nod "Natsu overcame that fear, and dispelled the darkness around him, while I believe you assisted Happy and Lucy towards the light" Devlin said with a smirk on his face, as Makarov returned his gaze to Devlin "The eternal night spell forces those fears to surface themselves, and tests the resolve of those caught within, Natsu will be stronger for it, as he expelled the darkness, while Lucy and Happy will come around given time", "And what of you?" Makarov immediately questioned causing Devlin to lock eyes with the man once again "I was faced with a similar situation long ago…" Makarov was about to inquire further, however a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Master, are you there?" a female voice called through the door, the pair recognising it to be Mira as Makarov responded "Yes my dear, come on in". This being said, Mira began to open the door seeing Devlin and said "Oh! I hope I didn't interrupt anything" as Devlin responded "Not at all, please continue" as Devlin gestured for her to carry on Mira smiled at him and spoke to Makarov "Well master, Erza returned from the emergency request, and wanted to speak to you as soon as possible" Makarov was slightly surprised, as the request that Erza accepted was to assist the Rune Knights in capture of a dangerous dark guild, one that should have taken quite some time to complete, "Very well, send her in" Makarov responded, as Mira returned to her duties at the bar, and the woman known as Erza made her way into the office.

End Chapter

 **A/N: So here we are at the end of the fourth chapter, Devlin and Lucy have finally joined Fairy Tail, and met a few more of the guild members, Natsu and Devlin had their fight, and in doing so, Devlin helped Natsu overcome his fear of what happened in Honeydew, with Igneel assisting him a tiny bit. Erza is about to make her appearance known, how will this affect the story I wonder?**

 **I've noticed the story has gained a few follows and favourites, to which I'd like to thank each and every one of you!**

 **The story also gained its first review, to which I'd like to say thank you for the kind words, and I will most certainly try!**

 **As always if you like the story, please leave a follow/favourite, maybe a review if you'd like, it really does help!**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5: A Place to call home

**A/N: Hey guys! Back with another chapter. This one took me a bit longer to write as I couldn't decide on the direction I initially wanted to go with Erza's attitude towards Devlin, among other things. This chapter picks up in Makarov's office, Erza having just entered, about to meet Devlin for the first time.**

 **Enjoy!**

Speech key:

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Large Creature/Booming Voice** "

"LOUD SPEECH"

 _ **Magical Abilities**_

"Greetings, Master" Erza said as she entered Makarov's office, her hair, as her name implies is scarlet red, she wears an armoured breastplate, with the Heart Kreuz motif adorning the front, matching gauntlets, a blue skirt and black leather boots. She turned to look at the unknown man who bore the mark of Fairy Tail. "A new member? Allow me to welcome you to Fairy Tail, I'm Erza Scarlet" she said, flashing a smile in Devlin's direction "Greetings Erza, names Devlin" he replied as she nodded with a smile, turning to face Makarov as he began to speak "Good to see you safe and sound dear, but I must admit, I expected you to be away for much longer" he said, while Erza took a seat "Indeed, but before I continue is it wise for Devlin to be present? This does concern S-class matters" she said stealing a glance at Devlin, who at the moment had taken to staring towards the window, a thoughtful look on his face, "Its fine, while it's true he hasn't been a member for long, his fight with Natsu earlier proved his abilities are easily that of S-class" Makarov replied, him too glancing in Devlin's direction. Erza began to laugh a little as she spoke to Devlin "So Natsu already challenged you, who was the victor?" Devlin remained silent as Makarov began to speak "Devlin was… he beat Natsu in a single move".

This caused Erza to jump in slight surprise, as even though she had beaten Natsu many times before, he was certainly no pushover "Anyway Erza, in regards to the emergency request, mind filling me in?" Makarov said as Erza returned her gaze to him, "Certainly master" she said, as she began to explain what happened on her mission "After a full day of travel, I arrived at Honnleath village, and met up with the Rune Knights, who began to explain that the dark guild threat had already been dealt with, by two wandering mercenaries" Devlin shifted his gaze towards Erza at mention of Honnleath, the name seeming familiar _"Honnleath… wasn't that the name of the village that me and Larius passed through?"_ he thought to himself as Erza continued her recounting the event "These two mercenaries decimated the dark guilds members, and its leader Ghorrok". Devlin's eyes widened at mention of that name, remembering all too well the man who was willing to destroy a village and everyone in it, Makarov noticed his reaction and decided to question Devlin "Do you know who these mercenaries might have been, Devlin?" he asked, as Devlin looked up, the gaze of both Makarov and Erza upon him. "I… might…" Devlin said as he placed a hand behind his head and leant back in his chair, "If you know who these men were then please, tell us… the Rune Knights said they killed every last member of the dark guild".

"Erza… I was one of them, the other was a friend of mine" he said with a sigh, as Erza recoiled in shock unable to find the words to react, "I trust you had good reason for taking this course of action?" Makarov questioned, a hint of seriousness in his voice, "Indeed, though before I say why, know this…" Devlin said as he looked directly at Makarov, Erza still too stunned to speak "Me and Larius… were up until recently, fighting a war" he said noticing Erza was unnerved by the notion of death, looked back towards Makarov "Those men, the Scarred Earth guild they called themselves, arrived in that village a few weeks prior to us, and in that time had instilled the fear of death within the villagers" Devlin said, as Makarov gestured for him to continue "When we arrived, those who saw us fled into their houses, and not soon after, we were attacked by the dark guild" Devlin continued to say as Makarov listened intently, Erza having recomposed herself started to speak "That isn't reason enough to just kill them!" she shouted causing Devlin to look her way as he continued his story, "No, I agree… we'd just come from a war, the last thing we wanted was more death. However what they did next… gave us that reason" Devlin said as Makarov began to speak "And what would that be?" he asked, "As we were preparing to defend the village, a child emerged from an alley…", Makarov's eyes widened in realisation, as Erza held her hands over her mouth "One of their wizards decided to launch an attack at her, strong enough to kill her if I hadn't of stopped it" Devlin said, an eerie silence beginning to take over the atmosphere within the room, "These men were not above killing children to achieve their goals, so me and Larius dealt with them… permanently".

"I see… and what of their leader Ghorrok?" Makarov responded, Devlin once again leaning back in his chair "He approached after we'd finished with the rest of his guild, and in his own words… thanked us for cleaning up the trash" Devlin paused before continuing, remembering what Ghorrok had said before he died, "He tried to destroy the village, and everything in it with his magic… so I put him down before he had the chance" Devlin paused before carrying on, staring at Erza who still appeared unnerved "I apologise if this makes you uncomfortable Erza, it must seem unnecessary from your perspective" he said, as Erza returned his stare, the pair locking eyes "Now that I've heard your reasoning, your actions make sense… I'm fine, and I apologise for my outburst earlier" she said, sending a warm smile towards Devlin, who smiled and nodded back, "There is one more thing though" Devlin said as he turned to Makarov once more, "Before Ghorrok died, he said something about the Baram alliance, and them taking revenge… this alliance, what is it?" he asked, the mention of the name seemingly heightening the already tense atmosphere within the room, "The Baram alliance is a conjugation of the three major dark guilds, Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart and Tartaros…" Makarov replied, Erza remaining silent as he continued his explanation "If I recall correctly, Scarred Earth was an underling of the Oracion Seis guild, I'll make sure to bring this up at the next guild masters conference" he said looking towards Devlin, who nodded in response.

"If that's everything, I'll need to be getting back to paperwork; it doesn't fill itself out unfortunately…" Makarov said with a sigh, Erza and Devlin beginning to stand up, as they prepared to leave the masters office, Makarov jumping down from the desk and opening the door for them "I'll let you know how the conference goes, there's a good chance the death of this… Ghorrok may cause some unrest between the dark guilds, be ready, the both of you" Makarov said, Erza responding with "Yes, master, see you later" and Devlin giving a friendly nod as they both exited the room. As Devlin approached the stairs of that lead back to the main area of the guild hall, Erza started to speak "Devlin, a word if I may" causing Devlin to turn around to face her, and replied "Sure Erza, what's up?", as she took a few steps and closed the distance between them, leaving a few meters between them, "I realise this may be rude of me… but you said you fought in a war?" Erza asked, as Devlin's expression noticeably changed, his face becoming sad and eyes distant "I… yes…" he replied as Erza began to respond "I apologise… you don't have to speak of it, the subject seems to be hard on you, I'll… be going now" she said as she turned to take her leave, "No, don't apologise…" he said causing Erza to stop, and face him once again "I've known someone was going to ask me about my past sooner or later, if you really want to know I can tell you, there's just some things that are… unsavoury" he said, finding a lack of better words, the look on his face becoming sad and distant "I see" Erza said, placing a hand on Devlin's shoulder as she approached him, "I won't pry… but thank you for being open to discussion, it's obvious the subject is difficult for you" she said as she smiled, Devlin looking at her as he smiled back "Thanks, but it's not the war itself that's difficult to discuss, it's what was lost fighting it…" he responded as Erza gestured towards the stairs "I understand, lets drop the subject and say hello to our guild mates shall we? We were in the master's office for quite some time" she said as Devlin began to follow "Lead the way" he responded, the two making their way down to the bar of the guildhall, finding seats as Mira began to approach them. "Can I get the two of you anything?" she said, to which Devlin turned to reply "Sure, I'll have a beer please" and Erza followed "I'd love a slice of strawberry cake!" Mira, taking their orders smiled, and went to work as Devlin turned to Erza "Strawberry cake hmm?" he said with a sly smile, as Erza replied "I simply adore it, and Mira makes a really good cake!" she said, a beaming smile on her face as Mira returned with their orders "One beer, and one slice of strawberry cake!" she said, serving them both respectively "You simply must try some!" Erza said as she offered a spoon to Devlin who proceeded to try the dessert, "Wow, this IS good… you made this Mira?" he said, as he looked towards Mira "Yup, homemade every day!" she replied, her smile growing from the compliment.

"By the way Devlin, I must ask…" Erza said as she finished her treat looking towards Devlin as he returned her gaze "The armour you wear, what's it made of? I've never seen anything quite like it", Devlin smirked at the question "I was wondering when you were going to ask" he said as he lifted up his left arm, which was covered in the armour "It's known as Magicite, an elemental metal unique to my homeland" Devlin started to explain, Erza intently listening in, while Mira listened as she was cleaning glasses, "It's extremely hard to obtain, process and forge, making me one of only a few people to have a full set" Devlin explained further as Erza questioned "What makes the process so difficult?" she asked, as Devlin smiled as he continued his explanation "Well, Magicite can only be found in areas with high concentrations of Ether, or magic particles. To extract it, you have to use a specialised tool, along with multiple magical precautions, as the ore itself is very volatile" Devlin carried on to say, as Erza listened ever more intently, while Mira had to return to her barmaid duties, "Once refined, the metal is a lot safer to handle. Magicite is akin to a sponge… once the fully armour or weapon is finished, the wizard using it can channel magical energy into the metal, causing it to act as a reserve pool of magical power, or a conduit to increase attack and defence strength. My set, allows me create small bursts of wind, and also increases the strength of my other magic, the armour itself is extremely lightweight, and incredibly durable" Devlin finished, his long explanation of how his armour functioned not boring Erza a single bit.

"Fascinating!" Erza said, keenly interested in the operation of Devlin's armour and it's construction, she too wanting a set of this armour, Devlin noticed the look in her eyes, all too telling of her thoughts "Unfortunately, the secret to creating this armour was lost in the war, sorry to disappoint" Devlin said with a smirk as Erza snapped back to reality "I see… a shame" she said, as she started to wonder if Devlin perhaps used any weapons other than magic "So if you wear armour of that calibre, is it safe to assume you also use swords?" Erza asked, as Devlin began to raise one of his arms, a bright light flashing for a brief moment and a katana sword appearing in its place "Indeed, I use many different weapons, though this one happens to be my favoured instrument" he said, beginning to unsheathe the blade "This blade is known as Yamato, highly powerful in of itself" Devlin said as Erza admired the weapon before her, it's blade catching the light which appeared to dance along its edge, "I've heard of this sword… legends say it was once used to seal portals between our world and that of the demons" she said, Devlin nodding in response "Indeed, you know your legends well… If there's any truth to the rumour I can't say, however this sword is extremely powerful and seems to pick it' s wielder rather than the other way around" he said causing Erza to look at him curiously, "Is that so…" she said, pausing for a moment, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes "Might I try?" she asked as Devlin placed the blade upon the bar top, gesturing for her to go ahead, looking at this supposed sword of legend before her, Erza at first tried to lift the blade from the bar top, however it would simply not budge, seemingly weighing an impossible amount "So heavy…" she said, not discouraged however, she stood up, this time attempting to lift the blade with both hands "WON'T… BUDGE…" she shouted through gritted teeth, the sword before her not moving even the tiniest of amounts, after a few more seconds of intense struggling to lift Yamato, Erza gave in panting as she began to speak "I've never seen anything like that, it's as if the blade didn't want me to lift it" she said, looking at Devlin who had begun to lift the sword and did so with ease, "It's as I said, truly powerul weapons choose their wielder, this one in particular, has chosen me" he said, as Erza sat back down studying the now sheathed blade closely.

Around this time, Makarov had begun to descend from his office, as the time had come for the guild masters to hold their regular conference meeting, in the town of Clover, "Where's Mira?" He questioned as he reached the bar, Mira appearing from the back room a few seconds later, "Here master! Can I get you something?" she asked, Makarov replying "No my dear, it's time for me to head to Clover for the guild masters conference, so I'll be leaving you in charge of the mission log until I get back" he then turned to Devlin and Erza and said "I'll be sure to bring up what we discussed earlier, I wouldn't go on any missions just yet Devlin, there's a good chance we might send for you, I received a missive earlier detailing potential dark guild activity" Devlin and Erza both nodding in response, as the master grabbed his travelling supplies and headed for Magnolia station, to catch a train to Clover.

After the master had left the guild hall and went on his way to Magnolia station, Natsu approached Devlin and Erza, while Happy and Lucy stayed at their table, hoping to see if Devlin could go with them on a job they had just picked out "Yo, Devlin!" Natsu shouted, Devlin responding with a nod "Natsu, what can I do for you?" he asked, as Natsu began to produce a sheet of paper, a job flyer from the request board "Just picked out this job, two-hundred thousand jewel for catching a group of thieves, you want in? It'd be easy if you came along!" he said with one of his signature grins. As much as Devlin wanted to go with Natsu, Happy and Lucy on his first job, the master had told him to stay put for now, and so responded "I'd love to Natsu, however Master has told both me and Erza to stay put for now, something to do with dark guilds" he said, a frown appearing on Natsu's face, "Well that sucks…" he said, a second later his expression changing as he had a brilliant idea "Well we'll just come with you then! It'll be a lot easier with more people there right? And I get to fry some bad guy butt!" he shouted, his eyes gleaming at the possibility of fighting a dark guild, "I appreciate the sentiment Natsu, but these are dark guilds we're talking about, you do remember what happened at the village yesterday?" he said, Natsu's expression becoming deadly serious "I do, and that's why I want to go with you, I want to get stronger so I can protect my friends" he said, Devlin grinning slightly as he did "Well when you put it that way…" he said before being cut off by Erza "Absolutely not! There's simply too much risk Natsu, especially if we bring Lucy with us too, she's never been on a mission before!" she said, Devlin placing a hand on his chin in a thoughtful pose, while Natsu looked down seemingly defeated, "In the case we are contacted, I believe they should come Erza, both Happy and Lucy were at Honeydew village yesterday, they both saw the same thing, if anything this would be a good distraction for them, as well as gain combat experience" Devlin said, Erza appearing to think over the situation while Natsu had gained a more hopeful expression "Very well, if we should be contacted, you may join us, go and inform Lucy and Happy Natsu, I wish to speak with Devlin a moment" Erza said, causing Natsu to jump for joy as he ran back to the table where Lucy and Happy were seated.

"Devlin, this village you keep referring to, what happened?" Erza asked, causing Devlin to look her way "Ah yes… You weren't present in the office when we discussed it" Devlin said as he began to recount the events of Honeydew village to Erza, her expression becoming sickly as Devlin reached the end "Despicable…" she said, now knowing why Devlin wanted Natsu, Happy and Lucy to accompany them should they be requested to hunt a possible dark guild, "Indeed, it pains me to see how little some people care for life, truly sickening…" Devlin responded, and followed up with "Anyway, this'll only happen should we be contacted by the Master, no need to worry about the details just yet" he said, causing Erza to nod in response "Indeed, I do hope the conference goes well" Erza responded, returning to her strawberry cake, while Devlin returned to his beer. A few moments later a certain ice mage approached Devlin, eager to pay Devlin back for the chair incident, "HEY YOU!" he shouted as he approached, Devlin turning to see who was shouting at him, "Me?" Devlin responded, knowing exactly where the situation was going, he decided to have a little fun "YEAH YOU, PAYBACK TIME" Gray shouted now only a few meters away from Devlin he responded "Ah, you're the guy Natsu was fighting earlier, I believe your name was… snowcone? Or was it stripper?" Devlin said with a quizzical look on his face, Natsu bursting out into laughter as his enhanced senses picked up on what Devlin was saying "SHUTUP, YOU TOO FLAMEBRAIN", he shouted once more, Natsu too busy laughing to register the insult, not realising who was currently sitting next to Devlin, "Gray, you're not harassing our new member… are you!?" Erza said as she turned to Gray, glaring daggers as Gray had interrupted her eating, her now third slice of strawberry cake, "No… no just saying hi!" he said, Erza returning to her strawberry cake while Gray took a seat at the bar next to Devlin, "Jokes aside, I don't believe we have been properly introduced, names Devlin" he said as Gray turned to speak to him "Names Gray, and don't think I'm gonna let that slide, I will get you back" he said as Devlin began to snigger "Please do try, as I said, I'm all up for friendly rivalry" he said, offering a handshake to Gray in the process, "You're on" Gray responded as he accepted Devlin's handshake, the conflict from before seemingly disappearing "By the way…" Devlin said, as he grabbed his beer, "Your clothes, they seem to have left your person again" Devlin said as Gray looked down, and jumped up from the bar seat in surprise "DAMMIT, AGAIN!?" he shouted, before running off about the guild once more to find his clothes, Devlin laughing as he did, "This guild certainly has some unique members" he said, causing Erza to chuckle.

As the day went by, Devlin began to shift his thoughts to looking for a place to stay, while he didn't mind camping, having somewhere to call home was always a preference and knowing Lucy would likely be doing the same he began to approach her, asking if she had any plans to go house hunting, "Hey, Lucy" he said as he found himself at the table she was sitting at, "Hey, Devlin" she responded with a smile, putting down the copy of sorcerer weekly she was currently reading, "So, you made any arrangements for a place to stay yet?" He asked, Lucy going into a mad blush, completely misunderstanding what Devlin was asking "I err… not yet!" she said in a panic, as Devlin started to laugh and said "Hehe… I'm not saying we should bunk up together Lucy, just curious as to whether you've made any plans, I'm in the same situation you are after all" he said, causing Lucy to calm down as she said "Oh yeah that's right… I found a place earlier while you were in the office with Master; seventy thousand jewel a month, one bedroom apartment" she said, causing Devlin to respond "Not bad, Erza was saying earlier that most of the girls pay a hundred thousand per room at Fairy Hills, seems you've hit a bargain" he said, Lucy continuing on to say "Yeah it's a pretty good deal, I'd offer you to stay over… but the landlady has a strict no guys overnight policy…" she said, as Devlin began to lean back in his chair "Well… looks like I might be camping" he said, placing his hands behind his head, "You could just sleep over at my place!" Natsu said, overhearing their conversation as he walked towards the pair "It's not the biggest place, but we easily have enough room for one more…" Natsu said, flashing one of his grins at Devlin "Thanks for the offer, I assume by we you mean Happy as well?" he asked, causing Natsu to respond with a simple "Yup!" as Devlin thought it over, _"I Don't see why not… this would also give me the chance to find out more about Igneel as well"_ , thinking to himself as he looked towards Natsu "Sure, why not" Devlin said as Natsu shouted "ALRIGHT! Now we can fight anytime!" he said as Devlin and Lucy both deadpanned, "Well, at least it won't be boring" Devlin said with a smirk, while Lucy began to giggle.

As it was beginning to get late, most of the guild members had begun to depart, heading home for the evening. As things had gotten a bit quieter, Mira decided to take the chance to talk to Devlin, "Enjoying yourself?" she asked, as she took a seat next to Devlin, who was still at the bar, currently waiting for Natsu to finish eating, "Indeed, Fairy Tail are quite the rambunctious lot, it's quite infectious… and fun" he said, Mira giggling at his answer and saying "We do know how to have fun!" she said, while looking at his unarmoured arm, a sad expression forming on her face _"So many scars…"_ , she thought, before asking "So I hear your bunking up with Natsu?" she asked, trying to take her mind off her previous thought "Indeed, more his idea than mine, but it should be nice as a temporary arrangement, though I think he has different ideas…" Devlin said as he remembered Natsu's comment from earlier, wondering how many times he would actually fight him, "He does love to fight…" Mira said, a noticeably sad tone in her voice, Devlin turned to her to see if she was ok, seeing that she was looking at his arm, "The price of war I'm afraid…" he said causing Mira to look him in the eyes, "You fought in a war?" she said, her expression now matching her voice "Indeed, it ended not too long ago, I'd been fighting it for the past decade… however it had been going on for at least the last two decades" he said, a frown appearing on his face as he started to recall why the war began "I'm sorry" Mira said in a soft voice, as Devlin looked at her "Whatever for?" he asked, "It must be hard for you to talk about, and I brought it up…" she said in the same sad voice, "Nothing to apologise for Mira, I can't blame you for being curious after all, I'd have no friends if I did!" laughing as he reached the end of his statement, causing Mira to cheer up as well "I suppose, but any time you want to talk, I'll be here" she said giving him a wink as she finished talking, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind" he said, playfully returning Mira's wink, the smallest of blushes appearing on her cheeks.

"Devlin, we're gonna head out, you coming?" Natsu shouted across the guild hall, a small mountain of plates in front of him, "Sure, need a hand before we head out Mira? Natsu seems to have left quite the mess" he said as Natsu looked on confused, Mira smiling as she replied "Sure, if you don't mind that is", Devlin replying "Wouldn't have asked if I did" returning her smile as he began to use his magic to stack the chairs atop the tables that Mira had already wiped down, while Natsu and Happy helped clear the plates they used into the kitchen, while Mira washed them and put them away.

"Well that didn't take too long" Devlin said as the group finished tidying up the guild hall, "Thanks so much for the help, it usually takes me a few hours to tidy this place up" Mira said, smiling at Devlin, Natsu and Happy, "Not at all, happy to help" Devlin said as Natsu and Happy nodded in agreement, the group now heading outside of the guild hall, while Mira locked up for the night, "Want us to walk you home Mira, it's pretty dark out" Devlin said as she finished up, "I'll be fine, it's usually a lot later than this when I walk home" she said smiling at Devlin, "Fair enough, in that case I'll see you tomorrow" he said, the group all saying their farewells to Mira, who headed home, while Natsu, Devlin and happy began to walk towards Natsu's place.

"So where is your place exactly?" Devlin asked Natsu and Happy as they exited Magnolia, heading towards the surrounding forest, "It's a small cabin out in the woods, perfect for training!" Natsu said as Happy followed up with an "Aye, Sir!", About fifteen minutes later, the group reached Natsu's house, as Natsu went in and moved a few things and set up a hammock for Devlin, while Happy flew into his own and Devlin began to requip out of his armour, into a more casual attire, surprising both Natsu and Happy, "You can do that too!?" Natsu asked in surprise, causing Devlin to respond "There's someone else who can?" to which Happy said "Yeah, Erza can, her fighting style is called The Knight, she requips into different armours while she fights!" Happy explained, "Interesting, I'd like to see how that works in a fight, personally I can't requip at a speed to make it suitable for battle" Devlin said, yawning as he began to climb into his hammock, "Night Happy, Devlin" Natsu said as he climbed into his hammock, Happy by this point had already fell asleep, while Devlin responded "Night" closing his eyes, and turning his thoughts towards the day's events. Before he could think too much however a familiar voice started to speak within his mind " **He appears to be doing well after the stunt you pulled earlier** " Devlin's eyes shot open as he thought _"Igneel"_ , who carried on to say " **The magic you use… Shadowfall, it's demonic in nature, correct?** " he asked, causing Devlin to let out a sigh as he thought " _Indeed… I am half demon myself after all"_ , causing Igneel to let out a low growl in understanding, " **There's something about Natsu you should know, the real reason I intervened with your test…** " Devlin's eyes narrowed at that statement, wondering what Igneel might be about to tell him. As Igneel began to explain the truth of Natsu's being Devlin's eyes widened in shock, not expecting what Igneel told him in the slightest.

Chapter End.

 **A/N: Here we are at the end of the fifth chapter. We learn Erza was meant to take care of Ghorrok and his crew at Honnleath, which Devlin and Larius beat her to, learn about Devlin's armour and favoured weapon (pretty strong reference here!) and also a bit more about his magic too, Igneel makes another appearance in Devlin's mind, telling him a certain secret about Natsu. Will this change Devlin's opinion of Natsu at all?**

 **As always if you like the story so far, please follow/favourite, maybe a review if you have the time, it'd be a great help!**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6: A new day, A new journey

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for the sudden dissapearance! A lots happened for me over the past few months, uni and family related, so I've not really had much of a chance to work on this story and many other things. However chapter 6 is complete and 7 is already in the works, so the next update should be sooner than this one!**

 **As always enjoy!**

 **Speech Key:**

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Large Creature/Booming Voice** "

"LOUD SPEECH"

 _ **Magical Abilities**_

" _I see…_ " Devlin thought as Igneel finished explaining why he intervened with Devlin's test. " _You say the boy possesses demonic power, though I sense nothing of the sort within him_ " stating telepathically to Igneel, being met with a thoughful growl in response " **You are both the same yet different** "Igneel responded, a furrowed look appearing on Devlin's face " **Natsu is an Etherious, a sort of pseudo demon, whereas you…** ", " _Whereas I am a demon in the truest sense of the word, yes_ " Devlin interrupted, causing Igneel to let out a drawn out sigh, " **If I had allowed the continued use of that spell, the dormant demonic power would within him have reacted, this I could not allow** ", he said while Devlin began to let out a sigh, looking over to the now sleeping Natsu. " _The Etherious… how did they come to be?_ " Devlin questioned as he continued to stare at Natsu, Igneel responding with a drawn out sigh " **A story for another time** " Igneel said as his presence abrubtly withdrew from Devlin's mind, who was still focused on Natsu " _A demon which isn't a demon… how does that even work?_ " Devlin questioned, wondering what Igneel meant. The answers eluding him for now, Devlin decided to get some rest, and slowly drifted off into sleep.

After a relatively restless night, mostly due to Natsu's loud snoring and Happy's sleep talking, Devlin awoke earlier than Natsu and Happy, he requipped into a shirt, trousers and boots and decided to go for a walk in the area around Natsu's cottage, his thoughts returning to that of his homeland, " _There was a time when Nethmar looked like this, before the shattering…_ " Devlin thought, a look of sadness appearing on his face as his mind wandered to that of his homeland before it was consumed by war. " _I wonder how the restoration efforts are going… me and Larius just took off without saying a word_ " he thought, wondering if his homeland would ever truly recover from the horror that befell it.

Remaining in the clearing a while longer, Devlin stood up turning his mind away from the past, focusing on the day ahead, breakfast and his now new family of Fairy Tail, " _Wonder if the guilds open this early, I'm hungry_ " Devlin thought as he journeyed towards Magnolia. Approaching the guild hall, Devlin could also see another figure approaching the doors of the hall as well, getting closer to the building, Devlin identified this figure as Mirajane, who had come to open up the guild and prepare for the day ahead. "Hey Mira" Devlin said as he approached the guild hall, causing Mira to jump slightly as she turned to see who called out to her, "Devlin! You're awake this early?" she responded, quite surprised to see someone else from the guild at this hour, "Yeah… between Natsu's snoring and Happy's fish obsession, kinda hard to get any decent sleep" he said, Mira responding with a giggle, "Well, I'm just about to open the guild up, how about breakfast?" she asked, a warm smile on her face as she looked towards Devlin "Sounds great" he said, returning Mira's smile.

"So, what can I get you?" Mira asked as the pair journeyed towards to the bar inside the guild hall, "Hmm… I'll have a black coffee and whatevers on the menu" Devlin said as he took a seat at the bar, while Mira walked around the counter to the back room. "Coming right up!" she shouted as she ventured into the kitchen, "Amazing how she manages to cater for a whole guild by herself" Devlin said to himself as Mira prepared some coffee and brought a couple of cups to the counter, followed by a pot of coffee. "Thanks, you need a hand in there?" Devlin asked as Mira began to pour coffee for them both, "I'll be fine, but thanks for asking" Mira said with a smile as she passed Devlin his coffee, "Alright" Devlin said as he raised the cup to his lips, giving Mira a small nod as he began to drink. "So how are you finding Magnolia?" Mira asked, hoping to spark a conversation between the two, "Well it's certainly impressive, don't think I've ever been to a city that has such a variety of locations before, and the people here seem to have real respect for each other" he said, taking another swig of coffee as he finished, Mira smiling at his response as she took in his unarmoured form, her eyes once again drawn to the many scars and markings adorning his arms.

"It's rude to just stare at people you know" Devlin said jokingly as Mira snapped back into reality, "Sorry... I've just never seen so many scars on one person before, and those markings look..." Mira stopped speaking as her expression turned to one of sadness, once again looking at Devlin's arms. "I'll go finish breakfast..." she said turning away from Devlin, going back ito the kitchen to finish their morning meal. " _I hope none of them ever have to experience what I have..._ " Devlin thought, looking on at Mira while sipping his coffee. Placing the cup down on the counter, Devlin looked at the demonic markings on his arm, sighing as he remembered what they took from him, but also what they gave him. " _These tattoos make me stronger in every way, the price however..."_ Devlin was cut off his train of thought as Mira reappeared from the kitchen holding to plates with breakfast for the both of them. "Wow, that was fast! Thanks Mira" he said, Mira smiling in response. "You're welcome... and I'm sorry" she said as she sat down "Don't be" Devlin replied, causing Mira to look up at him in surprise at the sudden bluntness of his response "Like i said, I don't blame you for being curious, I told Erza I'm open to discussion of what happened in my past to a certain degree... The war doesn't bother me, it's what we who fought had to do to achieve victory that does."

Mira sat in silence, unsure of how to respond to Devlin's sudden statement "My past is my past, the various scars and marks on me are all a part of what make me who I am, every one of them has it's own story..." Mira simply continued to sit in silence, not sure if she should press the issue or remain silent, she had only just met the man in front of her, and already she had inadvertently caused him to talk of what seemed to be painful memories. Devlin noticing the silence, looked away from his uneaten breakfast towards Mira, who bore a look of uncertainty "Anyway, enough of that, I'd rather not let breakfast go cold" he said with an honest smile, earning a nod and smile from Mira, both beginning to eat the meal Mira prepared for them.

The two ate in relative silence, Devlin constantly thinking if he should apologise to Mira, he couldn't help but feel he ruined the atmosphere with his last statement and created an awkward silence, "Mira" he said as Mira looked up at him seeing the look of sincerity in his eyes, he began to speak again "I feel I should apologise for my outburst earlier, it's made the atmosphere more than a little awkward..." Mira gave him a heatwarming smile and responded "It's fine, honestly I should be the one apologising for staring at you" the pair nodding at eachother before returning to their meal.

" _The marks he has... I can't help but feel drawn to them_ " Mira thought as she stole the odd glance at the markings on Devlin's arms " _I swear I've seen something like that before, I'll look in the library later_ " Mira thought to herself as she and Devlin finished their breakfast. Just as Mira had begun to take away the cutlery and refill herself and Devlin on coffee, another member of the guild had entered. Devlin turned, curious as to who else would be awake this early in the morning to see none other than Erza wearing her usual armor. "Greetings Erza" Devlin said as she made her way to the bar, Erza looked towards the bar in slight surprise, it was rather unusual for any other guild members other than Mira or the master to be present this early in the morning. "Devlin? I must say I'm quite surprised, it's quite rare to anyone other than Mira and master in the guild at this hour, how was staying at Natsu's and Happy's home?", Devlin snickered slightly at the statement responding with "Well, I learned a fair few things in my short stay. I now know what a snoring dragon sounds like, and also learned of atleast forty different types of fish native to Fiore, quite the experience" Devlin said, causing Mira and Erza to laugh as Erza took a seat at the bar, while Mira poured a cup of coffee for her, taking a seat the other side of Devlin.

The three sat in relative silence while finishing breakfast, seeing that everyone had finished Mira gathered the plates and took them back into the kitchen returning to her seat beside Devlin afterwards. "So any plans for today Devlin?" Mira asked as she sat down, "Hmm, I'll have to remain in the guild hall presumably incase the Master decides we need to deal with the dark wizard situation, other than that I don't really have much planned" Devlin said, causing Mira to immediately question "dark wizards?", "Indeed" Erza responded, "The emergency job I took a few days ago; on his way into Fiore, Devlin and his companion destroyed the dark guild before I got to the village, it's the reason why I came back so early". This caused Mira's expression to darken "By destroy... do you mean?", "We killed every one of of them, yes" Mira started only for Devlin to quickly interrupt, in response Mira gently grabbed Devlin's right arm and said through tearful eyes "Was it really necessary... to kill them?". Devlin turned to meet Mira's stare sighing as he began his explanation "Indeed, originally we were just going to incapcitate them, however one of their wizards sent an attack at a child that would of killed her if I hadn't intervened" he responded, Mira's expression softening as she heard Devlin's reasoning, "I see..." she said while holding her head low, "Is this why the Master wants you to stay nearby?" Mira asked, "Mhm, according to the Master, the guild we destroyed, Scarred Earth, was an underling of the Oracion Seis, and he feared this sudden action might cause the dark guilds to step up in their activity"

"Devlin I need to ask you something else..." Mira said, still holding onto his arm, while Erza adopted a more serious expression "Mira, maybe we should-", "Erza... please" Erza said, quickly interruped by Mira as she looked up at Erza. Erza sighing, nodded in repsonse, "Devlin... What happened after you met Natsu, he was acting rather strange" she said, once again looking directly at Devlin, "By strange you mean..." Devlin said, Mira immediately replying with "You know what I mean", "I see" Devlin said, taking a deep breath as he prepared to recount the events of Honeydew village to Mira. "After the events in Hargeon, the four of us decided to get a carriage to Magnolia, the route took us through a small village, known as Honeydew" Devlin said, Erza grimacing, already knowing where the story was going, Devlin continue his tale "Once we arrived the village was oddly quiet, and after travelling to the inn..." Devlin paused, hesitant to continue recounting the events of that day. "What happened?" Mira asked with a hint of seriousness in her voice, "We found the innkeep and his wife, dead" Devlin said, causing Mira to recoil slightly in shock.

"I could instantly tell... none of them had seen death up close before, so I acted, using my magic to create a temporary space so I could both assess the situation and reassure Natsu, Happy and Lucy" Devlin continued, both Mira and Erza listenting with varied expressions. "After we got out of the inn, whoever attacked the village extended the same courtesy to us, so I made a barrier using my magic for them to escape, however that didn't happen" Devlin said, a smirk appearing on his face "After I told them to run for it, Natsu shouted there's no way he'd abandon someone he considered a friend, which honestly... shocked me a little" Devlin carried on, causing both Erza and Mira to look slightly confused at his last statement "You were, shocked... why?" Mira asked, while Devlin finished off the cup of coffee in front of him and responded "Well... I'd never actually had someone call me a friend before, living in a war teaches you not to become too attached to anything, even people you could consider friends" Devlin replied, his mind instantly racing back to the day that changed everything for him _"And because of what happened that day..."_ he thought to himself, a sad expression forming on his face as he did. "What happened next?" Mira asked, seeing the expression on Devlin's face "I used my magic to repel the incoming attacks and we all made a break for it, stopping for a while outside of the village to collect ourselves, then made camp, nothing much happened after that, until we arrived here of course."

As Devlin finished recounting the events of Honeydew, the early morning sky had begun to shift from a dark blue to a mix of lighter tones, the sun starting to become visible as the guild hall had begun to fill with the morning light. "Well, thats that anyway, what they were after, I don't know" Devlin said, as he grabbed the pot containing the rest of the coffee, pouring himself another cup.

The three continued to talk for another hour or so, until the dark colours of the early morning sky had given way to the full rise of the sun, other guild members had started to enter as well, meaning Mira to return to her duties as the barmaid, while Erza and Devlin continued to converse about many different things, they were however interrupted when a familiar fire wizard and his feline companion shouted to him from the entrance of the guild hall. "HEY DEVLIN!" Natsu and Happy both shouted in unison as they approached Erza and Devlin, the former of which seemingly slightly annoyed that she had been interrupted by the duo's sudden entrance. Devlin noticing this, smirked and replied "Natsu, Happy, greetings" he said, as the duo approached, now within earshot "How early d'you wake up man? We were hoping you'd make breakfast again!" Natsu said with his usual grin, with Happy perched on his shoulder "Yeah! It was so yummy last time!" he said, causing Devlin to laugh and reply "I see, well unfortunately I had a rather restless yet educatory night, so I decided to come to the guild hall early" causing Natsu and Happy to look at him in confusion as Natsu replied "What's that supposed to mean?", Devlin quickly replying "It means you snore, like a dragon I might add, and you sleep talk, about fish and other fish related things" Devlin said with a sly grin, causing Natsu to instantly shout back "I DO NOT!" as Happy innocently replied "Thats because fishies are really yummy!", causing Devlin to laugh while Erza started to giggle a little.

"Anyway, me and you Devlin, we're gonna have a rematch!" Natsu said suddenly, causing Devlin to reply with "Oh? want me to kick your ass again?" He said, the pair locking eyes with a fierce intensity, Erza looked at Natsu and said "Not today Natsu, you know very well me and Devlin may be required on business should the Master call for us" she said, a dejected look appearing on Natsu's face, "Alright..." he said, "Another time perhaps, besides you wanted to come with us, right?" Devlin added, Natsu replied "Yeah..." Before Natsu had the chance to leave Erza added "Natsu, I gave our situation some more thought last night, I'd also like you to ask Gray to accompany us should we receive word, we may need the extra help" she said, Natsu instantly rebuking "WHAT!? WHY HIM!?" He shouted, causing Erza to glare daggers "Is that a problem!?" She said in a slightly raised voice "No, not at all!" Natsu said, his voice shaking with fear as he did, "Good, then go and inform Gray he'll be coming with us" she retorted, as Natsu quickly ran off towards the table where Gray was currently located.

"Yo, Gray" Natsu said, a hint of disinterest in his voice "What's up fireclown?" Gray replied with a grin, instantly causing Natsu to shout back "SHUTUP, SNOWFLAKE!" as he delivered a swift right hook that connected with Gray's cheek. "THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?" Gray shouted back, as he picked himself up, somehow losing his shirt in the process. "BECAUSE YOUR FACE LOOKS FUNNY, THATS WHY!" Natsu shouted back in an aggressive pose, "THATS IT, EAT THIS!" Gray shouted back as he threw a barstool at Natsu, which connected directly with his face "OW! WHY'D YOU DO THAT!?" Natsu shouted once again, Gray instantly responding "BECAUSE YOUR FACE LOOKS FUNNY!", Devlin couldn't help but laugh at the situation unfolding, as Erza began to sigh "No matter how many times I tell them..." she said, starting to turn around to see Natsu and Gray at eachothers throats atop a table. The two's fighting intensified, and as per tradition, an all out guild brawl broke loose.

"ENOU..." Erza started to shout however, was cut off when a stray mug from the brawl connected directly with her face. "WHY'D YOU DO THAT FLAMEBRAIN, YOU HIT DEVLIN AGAIN" Gray shouted, clearly not looking at who he had in fact, actually hit, and just assumed it was Devlin. "OF COURSE I'M GONNA HIT CRAP LIKE THAT AWAY IF YOU THROW IT SNOWCONE!" Natsu shouted back, only for Devlin to intercede "Not me you hit this time guys!", The duo in sync, made an audible "Huh?" as they turned to look towards Devlin was sitting and in turn, noticed Erza who was now quivering with rage as her armour was soaked by the contents of the mug, "YOU WILL PAY WITH YOUR LIVES!" Erza shouted, instantly jumping into the fray while Natsu and Gray, now held eachother comicly both shouting "AHHHHHHHH!" as the scarlet haired wizard made her way into the brawl.

Devlin simply smiled at the siutation before him and said to himself "Yep, I made the right choice" while avoiding bits of stray debris from the brawl. Eventually the brawl died down, mostly due to Erza incapcitating most of the guild members, and informed Gray that he'd be coming with the group should they be called upon. During this time Lucy had found her way to the barfront and sat next to Devlin "Hey Devlin!" she said, greeting him with a smile, "Lucy, morning, feeling any better?" he replied, "I'm still a bit shaken after what happened, but I feel a lot better today" she replied, "Glad to hear it, you were quite brave both in Hargeon and at the village" Devlin said. "You think so?" Lucy replied with a sad look, causing Devlin to respond "Indeed, there arn't many people who can remain calm in a situation like that, I'm impressed, as well as surprised." His statement caused Lucy to smile at him in response but to then ask "Wait... why were you surprised?" she asked, Devlin smirking as he responded "Well... I had you down as the damsel in distress type of girl" holding back laughter as he spoke, Lucy however looked rather annoyed at this statement, leaning in close to Devlin as she said "Damsel in distress huh? I may look the part, but thats something I definitely am not" she spoke with a hint of intensity in her voice, causing Devlin to chuckle as he leant in towards Lucy, their faces now mearly inches apart "Hehe, I know, and I like that about you" he said, causing Lucy to shoot backwards, her eyes shifting from Devlin, a flustered look appeared on her face as she said "You... do huh?", "Indeed" he quickly replied. "Well... I think I'm gonna go get breakfast, cya!" Lucy said as she left to order breakfast, Devlin's eyes following her as he also stood up "Then I think I'll move to a quieter area for now, cya Lucy" he replied as he also stood up to move to a somewhat quiter area of the guild hall.

Sitting down at a table further away from many of the guild members, Devlin produced a beaten looking book from his requip space, one of his few keepsakes from his homeland, which detailed stories and collections of notes and legends of powerful swords and other armaments. While flitting through the pages of the tattered tome, he was approached by a member of the guild he hadn't met yet, and the two men that followed her. "Hi! your new here right?" a female voice said, to which Devlin responded "Indeed, names Devlin, and you are?" he asked as he looked towards the girl who had greeted him. The girl had shoulder length blue hair which was tied with an orange ribbon, a blue tank top which overlayed a yellow bra, and finally brown trousers and boots to complete the look. "I'm Levy McGarden, welcome to Fairy Tail!" she said excitedly, as two males, in unison also spoke the same greeting "Yeah! Welcome to Fairy Tail" they said, Devlin closing his book responded "Thank you, these are friends of yours I take it?" he asked as the two men behind Levy nodded.

"Yeah, I'm Jet!" he responded, quickly followed by the second "And I'm Droy!" Jet has orange spiky hair and his outfit consists of a brownish-yellow fur coat and an elongated top hat following the style of the coat, a purple shurt, black baggy pants, and knee high boots. Droy has black hair, an upwards style ponytail resembling the stem of a plant, a white shirt overlayed by two yellow belts, green checkered pants and black boots. As the three finished their introductions, they all struck a pose in unison and shouted "And together we're the mighty team Shadow Gear!" Devlin adopted a rather quizzical look and responded with "I see..." A few moments of awkward silence passing by as the trio remained in their pose before Levy, breaking the awkward silence, stepped forward and asked "By the way... that book you're reading, d'you mind if I ask what its about?" Devlin, still struggling to register what had happened a few moments ago, took a few seconds longer than usual to respond "I... erm, not at all, it's a collection of knowledge about certain weapons of legend from my homeland, mostly folklore and speculation however."

Before Devlin could react Levy was suddenly sat next to him at the table, her eyes alight as she was focused on the book, "So cool! D'you have any others!?" she asked, her gaze now focused on Devlin, Jet and Droy standing by in shock as the girl they both idolised seemed to take an immediate interest in the guilds newest member. "I do... mostly following the same style as this one, but..." Devlin said, Levy speaking suddenly coming back to reality "Oh! I'm sorry, I just get really excited when I see a book I've not read before, I'm sorta the guilds bookworm" she said as placed a hand behind her head, Devlin chuckling as he said "Hehe, nothing to be ashamed of, knowledge is just as great a weapon as any sword after all" he said, Levy seemingly relaxing and smiling in response, Jet and Droy also doing the same as they took seats at the table "Perhaps we could exchange books at some point, I have more than a few in my requip space that I brought from my homeland as well as what I've managed to find along the way, and I'd be more than interested to learn of what Fiore's books might have to offer" Devlin followed on to say, Levy's face lighting up as she responded "That'd be great! We'll have to set up a time later on" Levy responded happily, Devlin nodding as he responded "Sure thing" the two smiling at eachother, meanwhile Jet and Droy were gritting their teeth, slightly annoyed by how friendly the two seemed to get in a matter of mere moments.

"Well, I'd guess we'd better go, we're due to set out for a job in a few hours, cya later Devlin!" Levy said happily as she got up from the table, followed by Jet and Droy, who both said their farewells through the same expression they held earlier. "Farewell Levy, Jet, Droy" Devlin said as he returned to his book, picking out a certain page in particular, _"Ilmarion... the sword that was supposedly used by a hero of the same name to defeat the elder dragon Ssethaliss."_ He thought to himself as he read through the pages, scouring the tome for any information at all that may point to a possible location "Useless..." He said, closing the book as it failed to contain even a slight hint of the weapons possible location.

As Devlin began to lean back in his chair, a carrier pidgeon flew into to the guild hall, landing on the bar top as it squawked "Message for Mirajane from Master Makarov!", "Just a second!" Mira shouted from the kitchen as she rushed to receive the message, as she did the carrier pidgeon instantly took off, presumably to deliver other messages. Mira unfolded the letter, to reveal a recording of Master Makarov played through a messaging lacrima. "Hello dear, I hope all is well back at the guild" the pre-recorded message of Makarov began to speak, followed by him clearing his throat and he continued to say "As we feared, the annihilation of the Scarred Earth guild has caused a surge in dark guild activity as of late, which has been the focus of discussion at the conference" The recorded message pausing for a moment, a growing look of concern forming on Mira's face, as well as Erza's who had approached shortly after Mira opened the message. "In addition to the events at Honeydew and Honnleath, the dark guilds have targeted two other villages, but were defeated by wizards from the Blue Pegasus and Quattro Cerberus guilds. One of the wizards also managed to learn that the dark guilds have set their sights on Onibus, and to that end I'd like Erza and Devlin to travel there as soon as possible" the recording carried on to say, the look of concern intensifying on Mira's face, while Erza stood up and began to rally her comrades for their departure to Onibus. "Be safe, my children, I'll be back home tomorrow" The recording of Makarov said before the message drew to a close. _"I hope it's nothing too serious..."_ Mira thought to herself before returning to her duties, knowing Erza had already set out to gather the team.

"Natsu!" Erza called as she approached the table he was currently located at, "We're going to Onibus right?" he responded, a look of seriousness on his face, while Happy just sat absentmindedly chewing on a fish next to him, "Indeed, I assume you overheard the message from Master then?" she asked, to which Natsu responded "Yeah, come on Happy!" he said, as he got up to leave the guild hall, Happy responding with "Aye, Sir!" before Erza grabbed his waist coat, stopping him in his tracks "Not so fast Natsu, we still need to inform Lucy, Gray and Devlin" she said, Natsu's expression dropping as he mumbled "I still don't see why frostypants has to come with us...", Erza hearing him shouted "Because I said so, now go and get Gray!", "AYE!" Natsu quickly responded darting off to find Gray as Happy followed behind him. After this, Erza began to approach Lucy. "Lucy" Erza said as she approached her, Lucy quickly looking up from the issue of sorcerer weekly she was currently reading "Hey Erza! something wrong?" she asked, Erza responding with "Indeed, Master has called for us to answer the dark guild threat, I assume Natsu told you that you'd be coming with us?" she said, Lucy closing the magazine in front of her replying "Yeah, I want to come after what happened, and to prove a little something to Devlin..." she said, the slightest hint of frustration in her voice. "Oh? And what might that be?" Erza questioned, Lucy responding with "He thinks I'm the damsel in distress type of girl, I'm going to prove him wrong" Lucy replied, confidence flowing through her voice. "I see, Natsu has gone to fetch Gray, we just need to inform Devlin now." As Erza finished her statement, loud shouting could be heard from the other side of the guild hall, the voices belonged to none other than Natsu and Gray, who had once again begun their usual routine of hurling lame insults at eachother. "WHY DO I HAVE TO GO WITH YOU?" Gray shouted, for Natsu to answer back "BECAUSE ERZA SAID SO STRIPPER", the pair now almost coming to blows were suddenly interrupted by Erza "Problem boys?" she questioned, for Natsu and Gray to respond in unison "NO, EVERYTHINGS COMPLETELY FINE!" as they walked towards Erza and Lucy each having an arm over the others shoulder, feigning a close friendship instead of their usual rivalry.

"Good, now all we need to do is collect Devlin and we can be off" Erza said. As the group approached the table where Devlin was currently reading another book from his collection. "We're heading out right?" Devlin questioned as the group approached, his gaze still fixed on the book infront of him "You could hear the message then?" Erza asked, Devlin grinning as he closed his book, placing it back in is requip space, "I could, however Natsu and Grays display made it a little more obvious" he said, giving the two men a sly nod as he stood up, causing both Natsu and Gray to deadpan in response, not wanting to further anger Erza. "So how are we getting there?" Devlin asked, Erza responding with "By train, it'll be the fastest way there and also give us time to strategise for a possible encounter along the way", everyone responding with a nod, including Natsu which surprised Erza "You're ok with the train Natsu?" Erza questioned, causing Natsu to respond "Well... normally I'd prefer walking, but Devlin has this spell that cures motion sickness!" he said with his famous grin, Erza looked toward Devlin as she asked "Truly? You are certainly full of surprises Devlin" she said with a smile, causing Devlin to grin and respond "Well I wouldn't say cure, more like... a temporary fix, the spell isn't permanent unfortunately" Natsu's grin almost instantly dropping to shock as Devlin spoke those words, Gray laughing at his rivals reaction.

"Well then, lets depart" Erza said, the group now making their way towards the entrance of the guild hall, "Just a moment please, I need to change" Devlin said, a bright flash of light enveloping his form as he began to change equipment, the light slowly dying down to reveal the same armor he wore when first arriving at Fairy Tail. Natsu and Happy just stood and watched, already aware of what Devlin was doing, while Lucy Gray and Erza watched in silent awe as Devlin used his magic to do something that was previously thought unique to Erza, "Alright! Lets go!" Devlin said as he walked through the doors of the guild hall, Lucy, Gray and Erza, staring at him in shock, especially Erza "What?" Devlin asked, as the group simply stared at him in silence before Erza quickly asked him "Where did you learn how to do that!?" she said astonished, Devlin slightly taken aback by the surprise of the group calmly responded "I just picked it up a few years ago... why?" he asked, Erza responding almost immediately "I've never met anyone else who could requip armor as fast as I can, you truly are amazing Devlin" she said, a genuine smile on her face, a long with a slight blush. "Ah... well unfortunately I can only requip my armor at that speed when I'm not doing anything else, I've not quite mastered it to the point where I can efficiently do it in combat" he explained, "I see..." Erza said as she adopted a thoughtful pose, "Then I'll just have to teach you" she said, causing the Natsu, Happy and Gray to all shout "WHAT!?" in unison. "A kind offer Erza, one that I may have to take you up on after we've finished our business in Onibus" Erza nodding in response, smiling at eachother as they prepared to depart.

"Now then, lets go!" Erza said enthusiastically, the group beginning to make their way towards the train station, and what lies beyond.

Chapter End

 **A/N: So here we are, Igneel decides to tell Devlin about Natsu's etherious origin, for reasons only known to himself, we learn a tidbit more about Devlins past and also meet Levy, Jet and Droy. Lucy wants to prove herself and the group has been formed and called to action!**

 **What will happen next I wonder?**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


End file.
